Workplace inspection VCA: frequency, checklist and report
A workplace inspection under VCA is a planned check of a workplace by an operational manager, using a checklist and a written report. VCA requires at least one inspection per month per operational workplace, and management must join a workplace inspection at least once per quarter. This is set out in question 7.1 of the VCA checklist 2026/6.1 and applies to VCA*, VCA** and VCA Petrochemie.
Workplace inspections are one of the first things the VCA auditor asks about, along with toolbox meetings. On this page you will find the exact requirements from the SSVV , a checklist you can adopt, and a completed inspection report.
How many workplace inspections per year does VCA require?
The short answer: at least twelve per year per operational workplace. VCA counts per workplace, not per company. Two frequencies are mandatory.
| Who inspects? | Minimum frequency | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Operational manager (or an operational employee under their responsibility) | Once per month per operational workplace | VCA question 7.1 |
| (Operational) management | Once per quarter, joining a workplace inspection at a work location | VCA question 7.1 |
A worked example. A painting company has an average of five active work locations this year. That means roughly sixty inspections by managers are needed. The director also joins four times a year, for example in January, April, July and October.
What if a job lasts less than a month?
If you mainly work on short jobs, you draw up your own inspection programme. According to the footnote to question 7.1, you can scale the frequency “proportionally”, taking the risks into account. A plumbing company with dozens of one-day jobs might, for example, inspect a fixed number of jobs per month per crew, with priority for high-risk jobs.
These frequencies have not changed in VCA 2026/6.1 compared with VCA 2017/6.0. If you set up your system based on the older version, you do not need to change anything here.
What must the VCA procedure for workplace inspections contain?
VCA requires a procedure. It does not need to be long, but it must describe four things:
| Part of the procedure | Example text |
|---|---|
| How the inspections are carried out | ”The site supervisor inspects every work location at least once a month using form WPI-01.” |
| The positive findings | ”Good points are recorded and fed back to the crew.” |
| Follow-up of improvement points | ”Every improvement point is given a responsible person and a deadline in the action plan.” |
| Use of the checklist | ”The checklist is completed in full for each inspection; items that do not apply are marked N/A.” |
Pay attention to the positive findings. VCA explicitly requires you to also record what goes well. An inspection that only looks for faults damages morale and does not meet the requirement.
Workplace inspection checklist for VCA (template)
Below is a general checklist you can adapt to your own work. Remove points that never apply to your work and add the risks from your RI&E and task risk analyses.
| No. | Check point | OK | Not OK | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Workplace is tidy, walkways are clear | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 2 | Everyone wears the prescribed PPE (personal protective equipment) | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 3 | Employees hold a valid B-VCA or VOL-VCA diploma | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 4 | LMRA (Last Minute Risk Assessment) has been carried out, and employees can explain it | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 5 | TRA (task risk analysis) and work permit are present and known | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 6 | Ladders, scaffolding and aerial work platforms are inspected and set up safely | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 7 | Electrical tools have a valid inspection sticker | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 8 | Fall protection is in place when working at height | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 9 | Hazardous substances are stored correctly and labelled | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 10 | Fire extinguisher and first-aid supplies are present and accessible | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 11 | Work zone is cordoned off where necessary | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 12 | Waste is separated and cleared away | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 13 | Employees know how to report an incident or unsafe situation | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| 14 | Behaviour: do people work to the agreed rules, even when not supervised? | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Point 14 is the most difficult and the most important. In chapter 7, VCA specifically looks at behaviour and actions, not only at equipment. Talk to people during your round and ask how they approach the work.
Example of a VCA inspection report
VCA requires every report to contain positive findings, deviations, improvement actions, responsible persons and a deadline. Below is what a completed report looks like, for a fictional renovation of a block of flats.
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Location and date | Renovation Parkstraat, 9 October 2026, 10:00 |
| Inspected by | Site supervisor P. Vos, together with director H. Mulder (quarterly round) |
| Crew present | 4 of our own employees, 2 from the plasterer |
| Positive findings | Scaffolding neatly cordoned off and inspected; all employees could explain the LMRA; waste well separated |
| Deviation | Action | Responsible | Deadline | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angle grinder without inspection sticker | Taken out of use immediately, sent for inspection | P. Vos | Today | 9 October ✔ |
| Plasterer’s employee without safety shoes | Spoken to, shoes obtained; subcontractor informed | P. Vos | Today | 9 October ✔ |
| Fire extinguisher in site cabin expired | Order new fire extinguisher | Warehouse | 16 October |
The actions from all reports come together in one action plan, which records the action points, who carries them out and checks them, and the schedule. That action plan is also a VCA requirement.
Who may carry out a workplace inspection under VCA?
VCA places the inspection with the operational manager: the site supervisor, foreman or crew leader. They may also delegate it to an operational employee, as long as the manager remains responsible. This is stated word for word in question 7.1.
| Role | May inspect? | Point to note |
|---|---|---|
| Site supervisor or foreman (VOL-VCA) | Yes, this is the standard | Schedule it in, for example in the first week of each month |
| Experienced fitter | Yes, under the responsibility of the manager | Record who the responsible manager is |
| VGM officer or KAM coordinator | May join, but does not replace the manager | Good for quality and trend analysis |
| Member of management | Must join at least once per quarter | Choose different locations |
A tip: let fitters take turns joining the site supervisor. They learn to look with a safety eye, and the inspection feels less like control from above.
What does the VCA auditor want to see for workplace inspections?
The auditor looks at documents and at practice. Prepare the following for the audit:
- The procedure for workplace inspections and the inspection programme
- Reports of inspections carried out, per work location, for the recent period
- The action plan with follow-up of improvement actions
- Evidence that management joined each quarter
For initial certification, your system must have been running for at least three months. That means three months of inspection reports as well. At the work location, the auditor may ask employees whether and how often inspections take place.
Trend analysis of workplace inspections
For VCA Petrochemie, there is one further must-have question: question 7.2. You classify your findings and produce a trend analysis every year, with actions and follow-up. For VCA**, this is an additional question.
A trend analysis can be simple. Count the deviations per category for the year: PPE, order and tidiness, inspections, behaviour. If you see that “inspections” keeps coming back, fix the inspection system rather than each individual sticker. For how to set up deadlines and a register for tools, read inspection of electrical tools under NEN 3140. Discuss the outcome in a toolbox meeting and include it in the management review.
Common mistakes with the VCA workplace inspection
- Only inspecting your own workshop. VCA is about operational workplaces at clients’ locations.
- Using the same checklist with only ticks. A list with ticks only next to “OK” looks unconvincing.
- No follow-up. A deviation without an action and a deadline counts as not dealt with.
- Management does not leave the office. The quarterly management round is mandatory and is often forgotten.
More information
- VCA requirements - All the checklist requirements explained
- Toolbox meeting VCA - Discuss your inspection results
- Incident investigation and reporting near misses - What to do when something goes wrong
- VCA audit checklist - What evidence do you prepare?
- VCA checklist 2026/6.1 (SSVV) - The official text, chapter 7