NEN 3140 checklist for employers
With this NEN 3140 checklist you can check in half an hour whether your electrical safety is in order. It follows the requirements of articles 3.4, 3.5 and 7.4a of the Arbobesluit (Dutch Working Conditions Decree) and the working method of NEN 3140. Every question you answer with “no” is an action point.
This checklist works for any company with an electrical installation or electrical tools, from office to factory. Want to know how an external inspection works? Read NEN 3140 inspection. For background on the Arbo requirements, you can also consult the Arboportaal (Dutch working conditions portal) .
Complete the checklist every year, and straight after a renovation, a new machine or a change of installation responsible person. Record the date and name. Then the checklist is also evidence that you monitor your electrical safety.
About this NEN 3140 checklist
The checklist has seven blocks. You can work through them separately, for example one block per week.
IV, WV, VP and VOP appointed in writing.
1. Organisation and appointmentsSchedules, reports and the testing register.
2. DocumentationIntervals, execution and repair.
3. Inspection of the installationTesting, register and rejected equipment.
4. Electrical toolsWorking dead and permission from the IV.
5. Working on installationsScope 10 and solar panels.
6. InsuranceRI&E (risk inventory and evaluation), instruction and evaluation.
7. Assurance1. Organisation and appointments
| Question | Yes / no | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Is there an installation responsible person (IV) appointed in writing for each installation? | Otherwise the employer is the IV. See IV and WV | |
| Is there a replacement for the IV? | For holidays and sickness | |
| Are work responsible persons (WV) appointed for work on installations? | Your own people or the installer’s | |
| Does everyone who does electrical work hold a VP appointment (competent person)? | See appointing VPs and VOPs | |
| Do operators and others with electrical tasks hold a VOP appointment (sufficiently instructed person)? | For example, resetting after a fault | |
| Does each appointment state which installations, tasks and equipment it covers? | A general appointment is too broad | |
| Are the appointments signed and kept in the personnel file? | ||
| For an external IV, is it recorded what they do and how to reach them? | Contract or agreement |
2. Documentation of the installation
| Question | Yes / no | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Are there up-to-date schedules for all distribution boards? | Required under Arbobesluit art. 3.4 para. 3 | |
| Have the schedules been updated after the last renovation or extension? | The most common finding | |
| Is the handover report from the installer (NEN 1010) kept? | See NEN 1010 and NEN 3140 | |
| Is the latest inspection report present at the workplace? | Arbobesluit art. 7.4a para. 6 | |
| Is there a testing register for tools and equipment? | Digital or on paper |
3. Inspection of the fixed installation
| Question | Yes / no | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Has the IV recorded the intervals for visual checks and full inspection? | Without a record, the visual check applies yearly | |
| Is that interval based on the risks? | Environment, use, age | |
| Was the latest inspection carried out within the interval? | ||
| Was the inspection carried out by a qualified person or a SCIOS-certified company? | See SCIOS Scope 8 | |
| Have all defects in the report been repaired and signed off? | With date and name | |
| Is the next inspection already scheduled? |
4. Testing of electrical tools
| Question | Yes / no | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Are all electrical tools and all extension leads recorded in the register? | Including chargers for cordless tools | |
| Is a testing interval recorded for each category? | Once a year is the safe minimum | |
| Has all equipment been tested within the interval? | See testing electrical tools | |
| Is equipment tested again after repair, before it goes back into use? | According to NEN-EN 50678 | |
| Is rejected equipment taken out of use immediately and labelled? | ||
| Do users check the equipment shortly before use? | Cable, plug, housing | |
| Is equipment belonging to subcontractors checked at your site? | Ask for their test certificate |
5. Working on and near installations
| Question | Yes / no | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| In principle, do employees work dead (de-energised)? | Arbobesluit art. 3.5 para. 3 | |
| Is working live allowed only with proven necessity and explicit instruction? | Arbobesluit art. 3.5 para. 5 | |
| Does a WV ask the IV for permission before work starts on an installation? | Including external installers | |
| Are there means to switch off and lock out installations? | For example padlocks and labels | |
| Do employees have the correct PPE (personal protective equipment) and insulated tools? | According to their appointment | |
| Are cabinets locked and accessible only to authorised persons? |
6. Insurance and fire risk
| Question | Yes / no | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Do you know whether your fire insurance requires a Scope 10 inspection? | Stated in the policy. See SCIOS Scope 10 | |
| Was the Scope 10 inspection carried out within the period in the policy? | Common is 3 to 5 years | |
| Have defects been repaired within the insurer’s deadline? | ||
| Do you have solar panels, and if so, is there a Scope 12 inspection? | Ask your insurer whether it is needed | |
| Do you have a battery system for energy storage, and does the inspector know about it? | Since 2026 it falls under Scope 10 as a module |
7. Assurance and improvement
| Question | Yes / no | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Are electrical risks included in your RI&E (risk inventory and evaluation) and action plan? | See RI&E and ISO 45001 | |
| Do new employees receive instruction on electrical safety? | For example in a toolbox meeting | |
| Are electrical incidents and near misses reported and investigated? | ||
| Does management review the inspection results every year? | For example in the management review | |
| Is it known when the new NEN 3140 will be published and what it means for you? | A revision is in preparation |
What do you do with the outcome of the NEN 3140 checklist?
Put every “no” on an action list with a person responsible and a date. Start with blocks 1 and 5. Without appointments and a safe working method, a good inspection helps little. You then arrange any missing inspection or test with a quote. For what that costs, see NEN 3140 inspection costs.
Do you work with VCA or ISO 45001? Then include the checklist in your internal audit. An auditor likes to see that you check yourself, not just that you have an external report.
Further reading
- What is NEN 3140? - The standard in brief
- NEN 3140 inspection - How often and what is checked
- Appointing VPs and VOPs - With an example appointment letter
- VCA workplace inspection - Checks on the shop floor