Electrical inspections for businesses: frequency and deadlines

The maximum intervals for periodic electrical inspections are set out in Annex 4 to nařízení vlády č. 190/2022 Sb.: five years for premises used for administrative activities, three years for manufacturing, schools, accommodation and medical facilities, and two years for premises whose fire safety design allows more than 200 people to be present. An initial inspection must also be carried out before equipment is first put into service and after reconstruction.

As the operator of a business, production facility, office or apartment building, you are responsible not only for its finances and operations but also for the safety of people and property. Electrical inspections are one of the key obligations that must not be underestimated. They are not merely paperwork for an inspection authority: they provide evidence that your electrical installation does not endanger lives and that your business complies with the law. Let us look at when an inspection is mandatory, how often it must be carried out and exactly what the inspection report must contain.

Why are electrical inspections mandatory? The law is clear

The obligation to inspect electrical equipment is not based on an inspection technician’s preference but on firm statutory requirements. The cornerstone is zákon č. 250/2021 Sb., o bezpečnosti práce v souvislosti s provozem vyhrazených technických zařízení (VTZ). It clearly states that the operator—whether a business, an owners’ association or a municipality—must ensure that the equipment remains safe throughout its service life.

This Act is supplemented by NV č. 190/2022 Sb., which specifically defines designated electrical equipment and sets inspection intervals. The former vyhláška 50/1978 Sb., which many people may remember, was replaced by NV č. 194/2022 Sb. This regulation governs professional competence in electrical engineering and introduces new qualification designations, such as an electrician under Section 6 and an inspection technician under Section 8. If you miss the deadlines or do not have a valid inspection, you may face penalties. Zákon o bezpečnosti práce allows a fine of up to CZK 2,000,000. Worse still, if damage or an injury occurs without a valid inspection, the responsibility rests directly with you.

Initial or periodic? Two types of inspection you need to know

In practice, there are two basic types of inspection. The distinction between them is fundamental, and they are not interchangeable.

• Initial inspection: This is always carried out before new electrical equipment is first put into service, after a complete reconstruction or after a repair that may have affected safety. The equipment should not be switched on at all until it has passed its initial inspection.
• Periodic inspection: This verifies that the equipment has not lost its required level of safety over time. Wear, ageing insulation or modifications to the installation can reduce its safety.

How often are inspections carried out? It depends on the environment

Under Annex 4 to NV č. 190/2022 Sb., the maximum periodic inspection interval is five years for administrative premises, three years for manufacturing, schools, accommodation and medical facilities, and two years for premises whose fire safety design allows more than 200 people to be present. Environmental conditions and operating documentation may shorten the interval, but never extend it.

The blanket answer “once every five years” is misleading and can cost you not only money but also safety. The binding maximum intervals for periodic inspections of designated electrical equipment are laid down in Annex 4 to nařízení vlády č. 190/2022 Sb.; ČSN 33 1500 and the ČSN 33 2000-6 series provide the technical basis for carrying out the inspection and determining the scope of testing. Environmental conditions are a key factor.

• Offices and ordinary commercial premises without hazards: The standard interval here is usually five years.
• Production facilities, workshops, laundries and higher-risk premises: The interval is shorter. Depending on humidity, dust, chemical exposure or mechanical stress, the interval may be two years or less.
• Lightning protection systems (LPS): These are governed by the ČSN EN 62305 ed. 2 series. Buildings with a higher protection level (LPL I and II) require a complete inspection every two years, while lower protection levels (LPL III and IV) require one every four years. Do not forget the annual visual inspections, which are always mandatory.
• Appliances and hand-held tools: Inspection and testing intervals during use are defined by ČSN 33 1600 ed. 2 and discussed in detail in the article how often electrical appliances must be inspected. The frequency depends on whether the appliance is hand-held, portable or stationary and on the environment in which it is used.

The exact interval for your particular premises should always be determined by a professionally qualified inspection technician based on an on-site assessment and the applicable standards.

Maximum periodic inspection intervals under Annex 4 to NV 190/2022 Sb.

The table is accompanied by four rules stated directly beneath it in the Annex:

• If more than one interval applies to the equipment, the shortest one must be used.
• A periodic inspection must be carried out in the calendar year in which the interval from the previous inspection expires; this does not apply to intervals of up to one year.
• An operator with a documented preventive maintenance schedule that minimises risks through regular checks and maintenance may specify intervals of up to twice the standard length in that schedule.
• An LPS must undergo a visual inspection at least once a year to confirm that it is not visibly damaged.

If the manufacturer’s accompanying documentation specifies a shorter interval, this shorter interval takes precedence under nařízení vlády č. 190/2022 Sb. Equipment for which the Annex does not specify an interval must be inspected at the intervals set by other occupational health and safety regulations.

Who may carry out an inspection

Under Section 17 of zákon č. 250/2021 Sb., an inspection may be carried out only by an inspection technician holding a certificate covering the relevant category of designated technical equipment. The certificate of professional competence is issued by an authorised organisation after the applicant passes an examination and remains valid for five years from its date of issue (Section 11(3) of the same Act). For designated electrical equipment, this is supplemented by Section 9 of nařízení vlády č. 190/2022 Sb.: the inspection technician must hold a certificate under Section 11(3) of the Act with the scope defined in Annex 5 to the regulation. Each certificate has a defined scope—a technician qualified to inspect appliances cannot inspect a lightning protection system or photovoltaic installation, and vice versa. An ordinary electrician who installs and repairs the system cannot carry out its inspection unless they also hold this certificate.

When choosing a technician, ask about three things:

• Scope of certification — whether the technician is authorised to inspect the specific type of equipment you need, such as building wiring, lightning protection systems or machinery.
• Experience with similar premises — inspecting an administrative floor is very different from inspecting a joinery workshop with sawdust extraction and 400 V machinery.
• What the price includes — measuring instruments, the inspection report, photographs and diagrams, and whether travel is charged separately.

Be wary of suspiciously cheap offers. An “inspection of the entire workplace for a few hundred crowns in cash” usually means little more than a visual check without measurements of the individual circuits. Such a document has no evidential value during an official inspection or when making an insurance claim.

What does an inspection report contain, and why is it crucial?

An inspection report is not just another sheet of paper for a binder. It is an official technical document demonstrating compliance with statutory obligations. In the event of an insurance claim or injury, it will be one of the first documents requested by investigators and the insurer. Every inspection report must contain:

• Identification details: Precise identification of the operator and premises.
• Scope of inspection: A clear definition of what was inspected, such as the entire building, a distribution board or a machine.
• A list of the measuring instruments used and evidence of their verification.
• A list of supporting documents: Design documentation, previous inspection reports and standards.
• Measured values and test results: Insulation resistance, loop impedance, bonding resistance, operation of residual-current devices and other results.
• Inspection conclusion: An unambiguous statement as to whether the equipment is “fit for safe operation” or “unfit for operation”.
• List of defects: Any deficiencies found by the technician must be clearly described and classified by severity; for example, defects posing an immediate safety risk require the equipment to be taken out of service at once.
• Date of inspection and validity, together with the inspection technician’s signature, stamp and certificate number under NV 194/2022 Sb.

Employer responsibility and penalties

As a company director, operator or property manager, you have a responsibility that cannot be delegated. Your duty is not merely to commission the inspection but also to ensure that any defects are remedied within the prescribed period. If the inspection technician declares the equipment unfit, you must not operate it. If an accident occurs, ignoring defects recorded in an inspection report is regarded as gross negligence.

Electrical inspections are also closely linked to your wider occupational health and safety documentation. If you are looking for a comprehensive solution, it is worth setting up occupational health and safety for businesses so that inspections are not isolated events but part of a systematic approach to risk prevention.

When to arrange an inspection and how to prepare

Do not wait until the final week before the deadline. Good technicians are often busy, and appointments may need to be booked several weeks in advance. Before the inspection, it is worth preparing:

• Documentation — previous inspection reports, distribution board diagrams and electrical installation plans, if available.
• Access to all distribution boards — unlocked and with the surrounding area clear of materials stacked in front of the doors.
• A list of changes since the previous inspection — new machinery, office alterations and any circuits added later.
• A list of appliances and machinery if you also want appliance inspections carried out at the same time.

Schedule the inspection outside normal full operation. The technician will need to switch off individual circuits, test residual-current devices and measure loop impedance, which cannot be done while production is running. A Friday afternoon, weekend or reduced-operation day is often suitable.

SOHE is based in Brno and provides inspections of electrical installations, distribution boards, appliances and lightning protection systems throughout Brno and the South Moravian Region. Details are available on the electrical inspections in Brno and the surrounding area page. To discuss the scope and arrange a date, use the non-binding enquiry form.

Inspections after reconstruction and when moving premises

Moving and refurbishment require particular attention. When taking over premises from a previous tenant, you do not know the condition in which the electrical installation has been left. At the same time, lease agreements often transfer responsibility for inspections to the tenant from the moment the premises are handed over. A practical approach is:

1. Ask the landlord for a valid inspection report, ideally no older than the applicable inspection interval for that type of premises.
2. If the landlord cannot provide one, insist on an inspection before moving in, preferably at the landlord’s expense.
3. At a minimum, the inspection should cover the main distribution board, wiring to sockets and lighting, operation of residual-current devices and the condition of protective devices.

The same applies after reconstruction, even if it was only partial. Have you added two offices and installed new circuits? Ask the electrician for an initial inspection of the new section and have them assess whether the new circuits have changed conditions at the main distribution board—for example, by overloading the supply or compromising protective-device selectivity.

Electrical inspections and photovoltaics

If you have a photovoltaic system on the roof, there is another dimension to consider. The inverter is an electrical device that affects the building’s entire installation, and the electrical inspection should also cover its connection. This specifically includes the connection to the main distribution board, surge protection devices (SPDs) on both the DC and AC sides, the operation of photovoltaic disconnection and the system’s effect on protective-device selectivity. Inspection of the photovoltaic system itself is a separate task, but it is closely related to the electrical inspection, so it makes sense to schedule both together.

One provider for electrical and safety services

At SOHE s.r.o., we believe that an inspection should not be something to fear but clear evidence that everything is in order. Whether you need an electrical inspection for a production facility, office building or apartment building, we approach the work with the same care we would apply to our own premises. The advantage is that one provider can handle inspections of electrical installations, lightning protection systems and appliances, as well as fire safety and employee training. This eliminates the complexities of coordinating multiple providers and passing responsibility between them.

Indicative prices depend on the scope. Electrical inspections for businesses start at approximately CZK 2,500, inspections of a standalone distribution board at CZK 1,000, and appliance inspections are generally around CZK 80–140 per item. An overview is available in our price list. We will always provide an exact price after a non-binding consultation. We can arrange an early appointment in Brno and the South Moravian Region—see the Electrical inspections and Electrical inspections in Brno service pages for details.

Do not leave the safety of your people and property to chance. Contact us at info@sohe.cz or call +420 724 689 762. Together, we will review what your premises require and set the deadlines so that you can be confident you are complying with the law.

Sources for this article

• Electrical inspections – a service provided by SOHE.
• Inspection report requirements – what the report must contain and how to understand it.
• Inspections when moving business premises – what to request from the landlord when taking over premises.
• Photovoltaic inspections: obligations, intervals and risks – when and how to inspect a rooftop photovoltaic system.
• Zákon č. 262/2006 Sb. – zákoník práce; Section 101 requires employers to ensure occupational health and safety.
• Zákon č. 309/2006 Sb. – o zajištění dalších podmínek BOZP; Section 4 requires regular maintenance, checks and inspections of technical equipment under the employer regime.
• Zákon č. 89/2012 Sb. – občanský zákoník; establishes an owner’s liability for damage caused by an object, which is relevant to owners’ associations and owners of properties without employees.
• Zákon č. 133/1985 Sb. – o požární ochraně; requires electrical equipment to be maintained in an operational and safe condition.
• Zákon č. 251/2005 Sb. – o inspekci práce; provides the basis on which the labour inspectorate imposes fines for breaches of occupational health and safety obligations.
• Nařízení vlády č. 190/2022 Sb., ve znění pozdějších předpisů – Annex 4 sets the maximum intervals for periodic inspections.
• Nařízení vlády č. 194/2022 Sb. – o požadavcích na odbornou způsobilost k výkonu činnosti v elektrotechnice; governs the inspection technician’s certification.

Need an electrical inspection for your business? Electrical inspections for businesses start at approximately CZK 2,500, standalone distribution board inspections at CZK 1,000, and we can arrange an early appointment in Brno and the South Moravian Region.

• Electrical inspections – the scope of the service and what the inspection report includes.
• Electrical inspections in Brno – inspections for businesses in Brno and the surrounding area.
• Price list – indicative inspection prices.

Email info@sohe.cz or call +420 724 689 762.