Choose the inspection that fits your situation
NEN 1010 Inspection
NEN 1010 inspections for new or significantly modified electrical installations.
NEN 3140 Inspection
NEN 3140 periodic inspections for electrical installations already in use.
SCIOS Scope 8 PI Inspection
SCIOS Scope 8 PI inspections to limit electrical risk and meet safety requirements.
SCIOS Scope 10 Inspection
SCIOS Scope 10 fire-risk inspections for electrical installations.
Not sure which one applies? See Which inspection do I need? for all four side by side.
Which inspection do I need?
For a new or significantly modified installation, that is a NEN 1010 inspection. If the installation is already in use, you inspect it periodically under NEN 3140, or as a SCIOS Scope 8 PI inspection when your insurer asks for certification. If your fire insurance requires a fire-risk inspection, that is Scope 10 under NTA 8220.
What is the situation of your installation?
Does your insurer ask for an inspection?
Do you want the fire risk of your installation assessed?
Answer the questions and you will see here which inspection fits.
The four inspections side by side
| Question | NEN 1010 | NEN 3140 | SCIOS Scope 8 PI | SCIOS Scope 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Which installation | New or significantly modified | Already in use | Already in use | Already in use, including connected equipment |
| What it looks at | Correct and safe installation according to the standard | Safety of people working with the installation | Safety of people, inspected by a SCIOS-certified company | Likelihood of fire, including thermography. Inspected by a SCIOS-certified company |
| Standard or agreement | NEN 1010 | NEN 3140 and NEN-EN 50110-1 | NEN 3140 | NTA 8220 |
| Who asks for it | Building regulations (Bbl), client or insurer | Working Conditions Decree, risk assessment and insurer | Insurer, often as a policy condition | Fire or buildings insurer, as a policy condition |
| How often | Once, at handover and after every significant modification | Periodically, interval based on risk | Periodically, based on risk or policy | Periodically, based on risk or policy |
| More information | NEN 1010 inspection | NEN 3140 inspection | Scope 8 PI inspection | Scope 10 inspection |
Can inspections be combined?
Yes. Scope 8 PI and Scope 10 concern the same installation and are often carried out in one visit, which saves time and disruption. After a NEN 1010 inspection at handover, the periodic cycle of NEN 3140 or Scope 8 PI begins. We schedule the inspections so they follow on from each other.
Operation of electrical installations
The operation of electrical installations is governed by NEN-EN 50110-1 (the general European provisions) and NEN 3140 (the additional Dutch provisions).
Operation covers every action, including work activities, needed to keep the electrical installation functioning under both normal and abnormal conditions. A periodic inspection of the electrical installation is part of its operation and aims to detect defects that could prevent it from working properly or create an unsafe situation. It is therefore no surprise that in a number of cases this periodic inspection is expected to be carried out.
Mandatory or not
Whether a periodic inspection of the electrical installation under NEN-EN 50110-1 / NEN 3140 can be made mandatory depends on the situation in which, and the way in which, these standards are referred to. This can be in:
- a law or decree in which the legislator requires the standards to be applied
- a business agreement that prescribes the application of the standards
There are also situations in which NEN 50110-1 / NEN 3140 are not referred to through a law, decree or business agreement, but instead:
- applying the standards NEN 50110-1 / NEN 3140 is presumed to meet essential requirements that are formulated in general terms (in legislation)
- (legislation) states that the recognised rules of good engineering practice must be taken into account
Practical examples in which a periodic inspection of the electrical installation is required or prescribed are
- insurers that include clauses in their policy conditions requiring the electrical installation to be checked periodically under NEN 50110-1 / NEN 3140. Such clauses are found in particular in building, business interruption and fire insurance. If, when a claim is made, it turns out that no periodic inspection or an incorrect one was carried out, the payout can be reduced or, worse still, refused altogether
- occupancy permits issued by government authorities. The conditions included in these permits are meant to reduce the chance of fire and the chance of accidents in the event of fire. They can refer to NEN-EN 50110-1 / NEN 3140, which makes a periodic inspection unavoidable in these cases as well
- policy rules connected to the Dutch Working Conditions Act (Arbowet). These policy rules describe how the requirements of the Working Conditions Decree can be met, and they mention NEN 50110-1 / NEN 3140. Although the policy rules have no legal status, following them is advisable, because applying them correctly at least meets what the decree requires, and the decree does have legal status
Scope of the periodic inspection
Keep in mind that a fire insurer that prescribes a periodic inspection pursues different goals than a periodic inspection carried out under the Working Conditions Act. The circumstances therefore help determine what a periodic inspection should consist of and how extensive it should be.
NEN-EN 50110-1 / NEN 3140 provision 5.3.3.101.4 describes exactly what must be checked. The accompanying explanations 5.3.3.101.4.1 and 5.3.3.101.4.2 fill this in. It can, for example, involve checking:
- the circuit and supply impedance
- the correct operation of safety circuits
- the safe separation between circuits
- the insulation resistance in every part of the installation
- correct use, taking the ambient conditions into account
- the tripping current and disconnection time of residual current devices
- the continuity of the protective conductors and their connections
- whether electrical equipment at least meets the installation requirements
- the proper operation of the trip contacts of switching protective devices
A periodic inspection of the electrical installation must take into account the technical and safety regulations that applied when the installation was built. This concerns not only standards, but also, for example, statutory regulations and the instructions and recommendations of suppliers. More recent technical and safety regulations can, however, be applied instead. This can be done voluntarily, but it can also be required by legislation or because the parties have agreed on it in a business agreement. An example of a situation in which legislation determines which standard applies is described below:
Since 1 January 2024 the requirements for an existing building have been set by the Dutch Buildings and Living Environment Decree (Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving, Bbl). Article 3.106 states that the electricity supply of an existing building meets NEN 1010, and the Environment Regulation (Omgevingsregeling) specifies which edition of the standard applies. An installation that is decades old is therefore not simply tested against the requirements of the latest edition.
The results of an inspection must be recorded in a report. BVo Advies uses its own standard inspection reports for this.
BVo Advies believes that good management of the electrical installation increases safety. A periodic inspection need not be limited to checking whether an electrical installation still meets the technical and safety regulations. Assessing management activities can matter as well. This plays a role not only in setting the interval between two consecutive inspections, but also in safeguarding safety until the next periodic inspection.
Interval between two consecutive inspections
The interval between two consecutive inspections can be determined through a risk analysis. It is, however, also possible that the interval has been fixed and recorded in a business agreement. A few examples:
1) With a risk analysis, the interval between two consecutive inspections depends on how the installation is used and on its condition. Using the method described in Annex I, table I1 of NEN 3140, the interval can range from 1.5 to 14 years.
2) Parties may have agreed that the electrical installation must be inspected periodically, with the interval between two consecutive inspections fixed and included in the conditions or clauses. If the conditions or clauses do not include a fixed interval but refer to NEN-EN 50110-1 / NEN 3140, a risk analysis can be used.
3) An interval between two consecutive inspections can also be set by the manufacturers of electrical equipment. Warranty conditions, maintenance instructions or guidelines belonging to the equipment can contain requirements on this. It is also possible for the installer of a new installation to specify an inspection period.
Clearly, the shortest interval between two consecutive inspections must be used. It is therefore important that whoever is responsible for setting the interval between two consecutive inspections is aware of such agreements and conditions.
A separate interval may, by the way, be set for each part of the installation.
Installation manager
Under NEN 50110-1 / NEN 3140, organisations whose staff are involved in operating the electrical installation must place the installation under the responsibility of one person. This is usually the installation manager (installatieverantwoordelijke). Article 3, paragraph 3 of the Working Conditions Act states that the employer may delegate powers and responsibilities to others, including direct responsibility for operating the electrical installation. An installation manager is a person appointed within an organisation as directly responsible for operating the electrical installation. This person must have knowledge of electricity and be able to recognise its hazards at a level that at least meets level 4 under the Dutch Adult and Vocational Education Act (WEB).
NEN 50110-1 / NEN 3140 provision 5.3.3.101.3 states that the installation manager must set the interval between two consecutive inspections, and must also decide what is inspected and how. If no one has been appointed as installation manager, the employer is directly responsible for operating the electrical installation. The employer must then set, or have someone set, the interval between two consecutive inspections and decide, or have someone decide, what is inspected and how. If the employer takes on these tasks personally, the employer must have knowledge of electricity and be able to recognise its hazards at a level that at least meets level 4 under the Adult and Vocational Education Act (WEB). If the employer does not meet these criteria and no installation manager can be appointed within the organisation, it is preferable to engage an external firm that can take on these tasks.
Thermographic inspection
Although a thermographic inspection is not part of a NEN 3140 inspection, some insurance companies still require it from certain businesses. They want to establish that no unnecessary fire hazard is developing in the installation or in machines. A thermographic inspection is carried out with a special camera that records thermal images. This camera converts invisible heat into a colour spectrum and stores it. The components inspected include
- Distribution boards
- Control cabinets
- Transformers
- Motors
- Cable and busbar connections
A thermographic inspection is usually meant to prevent the following problems:
- Poor connections at terminals and contacts
- Overloaded circuits, wiring, cables, busbars, motors and transformers
- Worn bearings and poor cooling of motors. Any of these problems can quickly lead to a fire
It is advisable to carry out this inspection regularly, because the situation can change quickly and things can then go wrong very fast.
Common questions about inspections
Which inspection does my insurer require?
Is an inspection a legal requirement?
What is the difference between a standard and a SCIOS scope?
What does an inspection cost?
Schedule an inspection of your installation?
Get in touch with BVo Advies. We explain which inspection is required or sensible for your situation and schedule it with you.
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