Not every experienced service technician is automatically qualified to carry out a UVV inspection. The deciding factor is whether their qualification matches the specific machine, the defined scope of inspection, and the existing hazards.
An unsuitable examiner can overlook safety-critical defects. This can lead to considerable liability and proof risks for the employer in the event of damage.
This post explains what requirements a person qualified to test must meet, how the term „expert“ should be classified, and what evidence operators should check before contracting.
The most important information regarding UVV testing
- Mandatory inspections are carried out by a person qualified to conduct inspections, depending on the equipment and type of inspection.
- The required qualification depends on the specific examination task and not solely on the job title or training certificate.
- Vocational training, professional experience, and recent professional activity must align with the intended examination.
- An expert is not automatically a qualified person within the meaning of the Operational Safety Ordinance.
- The employer remains responsible for the appropriate selection of the auditor, even if the audit is outsourced.
- For complex machinery, several specialists may be required for mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic testing.
When is a person lawfully permitted to carry out a UVV inspection?
The question „UVV inspection: Who is allowed to inspect?“ cannot be answered with a single job title. The term UVV inspection is used in everyday business for various safety inspections.
Legally decisive are the specific work equipment, the reason for the inspection, the defined scope of the inspection and the results of the risk assessment.
Recurring inspections and inspections following specific modifications or exceptional events must be carried out by a qualified person in the prescribed cases.
This person must be able to ascertain the actual condition of the work equipment, compare it with the specified target condition, and professionally assess any deviations. The result must then be documented in a clear and logical manner.
There is no general inspection authorisation for all machines and equipment.
For example, a technician may be sufficiently qualified for a particular grant. However, this does not automatically mean they are permitted to fully assess electrical protection devices, hydraulic systems, or other types of machinery.
The suitability of the examiner must always correspond to the actual examination assignment.
Can an internal employee carry out the UVV inspection?
An employee may conduct an inspection if they meet all the technical requirements and have been duly authorised by the employer. Therefore, an external inspection body is not always required.
Alternatively, the employer can commission a specialised company. However, outsourcing does not shift the entire responsibility to the service provider.
The employer must also appropriately verify, even in the case of an external audit, whether the person appointed is qualified for the specific task.
For stacker cranes, conveyor technology and other industrial machinery, experience with comparable systems is particularly relevant. The tester must be familiar with typical wear patterns, safety functions, and design-related hazards.
General machine knowledge is often insufficient for complex intralogistics systems.
What requirements does TRBS 1203 place on a qualified person?
The qualification of a competent person does not arise from a single certificate. The Industrial Safety Ordinance describes the required knowledge, while TRBS 1203 specifies how this knowledge is acquired and maintained.
The competence arises from the interplay of appropriate vocational training, practical professional experience, and current professional activity.
| Requirements area | What must the examiner prove? |
|---|---|
| Vocational training | Technical training, technical degree or a comparable qualification related to the testing task |
| Work experience | Practical experience with comparable work equipment, damage, wear patterns and hazards |
| Timely professional activity | Current practice in the relevant specialist field and regular professional development |
Why does the vocational training have to match the examination task?
The examiner requires a completed technical vocational training, a technical degree or an equivalent qualification. The technical specialisation must be suitable for the intended task.
For mechanical test components, for example, a metal technology or mechatronics apprenticeship may be suitable. In contrast, sufficient electrical engineering knowledge is required for the assessment of electrical safety measures.
A technical qualification alone does not prove that a person is permitted to assess any machine or testing area.
What practical experience must the examiner possess?
The inspector must have practical experience with comparable work equipment. They should not only be familiar with normal operation but also be able to assess assembly errors, typical damage, and safety-relevant deviations.
For a stacker crane, the following areas may be relevant depending on the inspection order, among others:
- Travel and hoist drive,
- Load-lifting devices,
- End of line.,
- Braking functions,
- Access and fall protection,
- Protective equipment,
- relevant electrical components.
The inspector must be able to assess whether a defect impairs the continued safe use of the system.
What does timely professional activity mean?
Expertise must not originate solely from a previous role. Current practical experience relevant to the examination task concerned is required.
This can include regular inspections, maintenance and service operations, repairs, or participation in comparable testing processes. Complementary plant-specific training and professional development are also relevant.
Completion of a training course does not permanently and unconditionally qualify a person.
Anyone who has not carried out comparable examinations for a considerable time may need to update their knowledge and gain practical experience again.
What evidence should the employer check before hiring?
A training certificate can be part of the proof of qualification. However, on its own, it often does not demonstrate the required suitability.
A robust selection decision takes into account the entire qualification of the testing person and its relevance to the specific machine.
Checklist for Selecting an Examiner
- Do you have a suitable technical training or degree qualification?
- Is there practical experience with the specific work equipment or comparable systems?
- Does the person know the relevant regulations and technical rules?
- Does it have up-to-date inspection practice?
- Have plant-specific training courses been completed?
- Does she master the required testing and measurement procedures?
- Can she assess defects professionally and document them comprehensibly?
- Is the audit mandate clearly defined and documented in writing?
Why are "Sachkundige" and "befähigte Personen" not automatically the same thing?
The term „expert“ is used in older regulations, industry-specific rules, inspection instructions, and training courses. This often gives the impression that an expert always corresponds to a qualified person.
A blanket equation is not legally sound.
The qualified person is defined in the Industrial Safety Regulations. Their suitability arises from appropriate vocational training, relevant professional experience, and up-to-date professional activity.
The term „expert“ generally refers to a person with special expertise in a particular field. In individual DGUV regulations, it may be stipulated that an expert named therein must simultaneously meet the requirements of a competent person.
Without the respective technical and regulatory context, a general authorisation to test cannot be derived from the designation „expert“.
This also applies to market designations such as „UVV inspector“ or „DGUV-qualified person“. The actual knowledge, practical experience, current activity and the defined scope of inspection remain decisive.
When are multiple examiners required for a machine?
Complex systems often combine mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and control engineering components. A single person does not necessarily have the required qualifications in each of these areas.
If a single inspector cannot cover the full inspection scope, several qualified specialists with clearly defined, separate tasks may be used.
In this case, the employer must ensure that responsibilities are clearly defined. At the same time, the work equipment must be fully assessed within the stipulated period.
| Test area | Possible required expertise |
|---|---|
| Mechanic | Load-bearing components, brakes, wear, connections and load-handling devices |
| Electrical engineering | Protective measures, controls, emergency stop functions, and electrical equipment |
| Hydraulics | Pressure systems, lines, leak tightness and safety-relevant valves |
| Plant-specific functions | Operating modes, access, protection concepts, and construction-related hazards |
What responsibility remains with the employer?
The employer should document the selection of the auditor in a traceable manner. This includes the specific audit assignment, the defined scope, the required qualifications, and the credentials of the individuals involved.
Even if work is outsourced, the employer remains responsible for the appropriate selection of the person conducting the inspection.
The external auditor is in turn responsible for the professional execution of the task undertaken. A clear mandate protects both sides from unclear responsibilities and incomplete audits.
Why doesn't a UVV inspection replace proper maintenance?
An inspection assesses whether a piece of work equipment can be used safely at the time of inspection. Maintenance, on the other hand, serves to preserve functions, limit wear and tear, and prevent failures.
A maintenance check is not automatically a full safety inspection – and passing an inspection does not replace scheduled servicing.
Operators should link both processes organisationally without mixing their differing objectives and responsibilities.
Further information can be found in the post Frequently asked questions about industrial machinery maintenance.
What needs to be decided before the next UVV inspection?
For operators, the title on a certificate is not decisive. What is crucial is the demonstrable suitability of the person for the work equipment, the existing hazards, and the agreed scope of inspection.
Those who derive inspection requirements from the risk assessment, carefully check qualification certificates, and document responsibilities reduce safety, liability, and failure risks.
FAQ: Who is legally permitted to carry out UVV inspections?
Can any service technician carry out a UVV inspection?
No. A service technician may only carry out a prescribed inspection if their training, practical experience, current role, and technical expertise are suitable for the specific inspection task.
Knowledge of regular plant operation or general service activities alone is not sufficient.
Is one course sufficient to be allowed to inspect as a qualified person?
A course can impart or update required specialist knowledge. However, it does not automatically replace adequate vocational training and practical experience.
The capability arises from the totality of the professional qualifications.
Can an in-house employee carry out the UVV inspection?
Yes. The prerequisite is that the employee is sufficiently qualified for the specific task, possesses current examination practice, and has been commissioned by the employer.
Is a knowledgeable person automatically a capable person?
No. Equalisation may be provided for in a specific DGUV principle or technical rule, but does not apply generally.
The requirements of the relevant regulations and the specific audit mandate are decisive.
Who bears responsibility for an external audit?
The external auditor is responsible for the proper execution of the task undertaken. However, the employer must select a sufficiently qualified person and clearly define the audit mandate.
Can one person check all the components of a complex machine?
Only if their qualification covers all the required examination areas. Otherwise, several specialists with clearly defined responsibilities should be used.
