Test-interval calculator (DGUV Regulation 3)
DGUV Regulation 3 sets no fixed test interval; the intervals follow from the risk assessment. Common guideline figures: portable office equipment usually 24 months, equipment under heavier use such as extension leads or kettles 12 months, fixed installations up to 48 months. Testing is done by a qualified electrician or an electrotechnically instructed person under their direction and supervision. Choose your device and enter the last test, and the calculator gives you the next date.
Please choose a device and enter the date of the last inspection.
Under DGUV Regulation 3, electrical equipment must be inspected regularly by a qualified electrician. The specific intervals follow from the risk assessment; the values stored here are common guideline figures (office devices usually 24 months, more heavily used ones 12 months, fixed installations up to 48 months). The base guideline for portable devices is shorter and can be extended if the fault rate is low. Guidance, not legal advice.
How the calculation works
Under DGUV Regulation 3, electrical equipment must be inspected regularly by a qualified electrician. The regulation sets no fixed interval: the specific intervals follow from your risk assessment. The calculator uses the common guideline values.
If you would rather not organise the inspection yourself, the page on the external occupational safety specialist sets out what they take on in an office.
portable office equipment: usually 24 months
equipment under heavier use: 12 months
fixed installations: up to 48 months
| Equipment group | Guideline interval | Examples from the device list |
|---|---|---|
| portable office equipment under light use | 24 months | laptop, monitor, PC, docking station, desktop printer, fridge |
| portable equipment under heavier use | 12 months | extension cable, power strip, kettle, coffee maker, vacuum cleaner, copier |
| fixed installations | 48 months | sub-distribution board, permanently installed lighting, air-conditioning, electric cooker |
The baseline for portable equipment is shorter and may be extended if the failure rate found during inspections stays low. That is the usual route in an office: inspect at short intervals first, then stretch them once results are clean.
Two examples
- Laptop at a fixed desk: low mechanical stress, guideline 24 months.
- Extension lead in storage or a kettle in the kitchen: heavier use, guideline 12 months.
What the interval does not cover
- Visual checks by employees. Damaged cables and power supplies must be taken out of service immediately, regardless of the next due date. This belongs in safety training.
- Inspection after repair or modification. Due regardless of the cycle.
- Fixed installations. Wiring, distribution boards and permanently connected equipment follow their own intervals and usually sit with building management.
Who is responsible and what else attaches to fire safety is covered in Fire safety in the office.
Legal basis
- DGUV Regulation 3 "Electrical installations and equipment": inspection duty by a qualified electrician, with no fixed interval.
- Industrial Safety Ordinance (BetrSichV) section 14: inspection of work equipment, type and intervals follow from the risk assessment.
- Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG) section 5: the risk assessment that sets the specific intervals.
- TRBS 1201 "Inspections and checks of work equipment", BAuA: technical rule on type, scope and intervals of inspections.
Frequently asked questions
Who may carry out the inspection?
A qualified electrician, or a person instructed in electrical matters working under the direction and supervision of one, using suitable measuring equipment. A visual check by employees does not replace the inspection but usefully supplements it.
Does the duty cover private devices used in the office?
As soon as a device is used in the business, the employer is responsible for its safe condition. Many businesses therefore rule that private devices are either not brought in or are included in the inspection.
What happens if an interval is exceeded?
The inspection must be caught up. It becomes critical after an incident: without a current inspection record it is hard to show that the business met its duty of care.
Do devices used at home have to be inspected?
Work equipment provided by the employer remains their responsibility, even when it sits at an employee's home. How this is organised in practice belongs in the remote-work agreement.
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