NEN 3140 certificate: does it exist?

No, there is no certificate for the NEN 3140 standard itself, and your company will not get a NEN 3140 certificate either. What does exist are the SCIOS scopes , which cover inspection companies, and the written appointment of a competent person (VP) or sufficiently instructed person (VOP). For what you must be able to show during an inspection or audit, see the NEN 3140 checklist.

Anyone who searches for “NEN 3140 certificate” usually means one of three different documents: a SCIOS certificate from the inspection company, a course certificate for a person, or proof that your own working method is in order. These three are not interchangeable.

Which document do you mean?

What you are looking for	What it is	Who issues it	What it proves
SCIOS certificate for an inspection company	Certificate for a scope, for example Scope 8 or Scope 9	A certification body, under accreditation from the Dutch Accreditation Council (Raad voor Accreditatie, RvA)	That the company works according to the SCIOS scheme for that scope
Course certificate or exam certificate	Proof that a person has completed a course or passed an exam	The training provider	That someone has knowledge of the standard
Appointment as VP or VOP	Written appointment for specific tasks	Your employer	That someone is authorised for those tasks
Own working method	Schedules, registers, reports and procedures	You	That you arrange it in a demonstrable way

The appointment is the most important document within your own company. A course certificate is a tool. A SCIOS certificate belongs to an inspection company that you hire, not to your own employees.

Why there is no certificate for the standard

NEN 3140 is a working method that you apply. NEN does not issue NEN 3140 certificates itself. After NEN 3140 training you do receive a certificate of participation, see below.

Certification is done by an independent party that checks a company against set requirements. For inspections under NEN 3140, this happens through SCIOS . Certification bodies certify the inspection companies, under accreditation from the RvA. A company that uses the standard without being an inspection company does not fall under this.

Example (fictional): an office with twelve employees has its fixed installation inspected by an inspection company with a SCIOS certificate for the right scope. The company checks its own tools, with an employee who holds an appointment. The office does not have a certificate itself, and it does not need one to follow the standard.

What you can show

An inspection report from a company with a SCIOS certificate

The report states the scope and the date. Check that the scope matches what you had inspected, for example Scope 8 for the fixed installation or Scope 9 for tools.

Signed appointments of VPs and VOPs

Each appointment names the person, the tasks and the date. Without that appointment, a course certificate cannot replace the authorisation.

Training certificates as proof of knowledge

A certificate of participation shows that someone has gained knowledge. It does not replace the appointment. See also the page on NEN 3140 courses.

The inspection register or inspection schedule

This shows what has been inspected, when and by whom. A register without a date or the name of the inspector is weak evidence.

Common mistakes

Treating a course certificate as an appointment. A course gives knowledge. The employer gives the authority.
Asking for a SCIOS certificate from a company that only uses the standard, without being an inspection company or having a scope.
Not checking the inspection company’s certificate for the correct scope.
Letting reports and appointments expire without reassessment.

Frequently asked questions

Is a NEN 3140 certificate mandatory?

No. What is mandatory is that installations are safe and that you can demonstrate you arrange that. For the legal position, read Is NEN 3140 mandatory?.

How do I check whether an inspection company is certified?

Ask the inspection company for the certificate for the scope you are buying, and check that the scope matches your order. SCIOS has an overview of certified companies , which you can filter by scope and location. For the differences between the scopes, the SCIOS scopes page is the starting point.

How long is a course certificate valid?

The certificate of participation itself has no expiry date, according to NEN . Your employer or client decides whether the training is still current enough. Record that agreement in your own working method, for example as a refresher course after a few years.

Does an inspector need a personal certificate?

Inspectors at a SCIOS company must meet knowledge and competence requirements based on NEN 3140. A practical audit by the certification body takes place once every 18 months, according to SCIOS . Record what else you require as a client in the contract with the inspection company. See also the cost page for what an inspection costs in practice.

What to ask an inspection company

When you buy an inspection, you usually receive a quote with a scope and a report. Those two are the evidence. Therefore, explicitly ask for the following.

The company’s certificate, with the scope you are buying.
The name of the inspector and proof that this inspector works for the company.
A sample report, so you can see what you will receive.
The period within which the report is delivered, and the content of any re-inspection.

A company that does not give a clear answer to this is a reason to request a second quote.

Checklist before you have an inspection done

Is the scope in the order the same as the scope you need?
Are the appointments of your VPs and VOPs in your file?
Is the inspection register for your tools complete?
Do you know who will accompany the inspection on site?
Have you informed the installation responsible person of the date?