What Is Periodic Inspection? Legal Requirements, Which Equipment, How Often
From pressure vessels to cranes, electrical installations to machinery: which equipment must be periodically inspected by law in Türkiye, how often, and what happens if you skip it — clear answers and an inspection calendar.
Periodic inspection is the regular examination of workplace equipment by authorised persons, confirming and documenting that it is safe to operate. It is not an optional quality exercise — in Türkiye it is a legal requirement for most equipment, and one of the first records asked for during an audit.
The legal basis is the Regulation on Health and Safety Conditions in the Use of Work Equipment (İş Ekipmanlarının Kullanımında Sağlık ve Güvenlik Şartları Yönetmeliği), whose annexes set out which equipment must be inspected, by whom, and how often.
Which equipment requires periodic inspection?
The most common groups:
| Equipment group | Typical examples |
|---|---|
| Pressure vessels | Compressor air tank, steam boiler, hydrophore, autoclave, heating boiler |
| Lifting & conveying equipment | Crane, hoist, forklift, pallet truck, platform |
| Installations | Electrical installation, earthing, lightning protection, fire systems |
| Machinery & benches | Press, CNC, compressor, generator |
⚠️ Whether the equipment applies to you and the exact inspection interval depend on the relevant regulation annex and the manufacturer's instructions. For most groups the legal maximum is one year, but the risk profile, the applicable standard and operating conditions can shorten it. ASİS UK prepares an inspection calendar tailored to your equipment inventory.
Who can perform periodic inspection?
Periodic inspections are carried out by technical personnel who are legally authorised and registered with EKİPNET. EKİPNET is the Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Security's electronic system for tracking periodic-inspection authorisations and reports (now operated through İSG-KATİP / the Work Equipment Information System). Employers can query an inspector's competence through this system.
Those eligible for the authorisation certificate (a personal "K Number"):
- Engineers — mechanical, metallurgical & materials, mechatronics, electrical
- Technical teachers — graduates of machinery / metalworking education programmes
- Technicians — machine technicians, senior technicians and technicians in the relevant field
A diploma alone is not enough: candidates must complete the periodic-inspector training delivered by ministry-authorised bodies (Chamber of Mechanical Engineers, Chamber of Electrical Engineers, TSE, etc.) and pass an exam; those who succeed are issued a personal K Number approved by the Ministry. The discipline matches the equipment — typically a mechanical engineer for pressure vessels and lifting equipment, an electrical engineer for electrical installations and earthing.
In practice, companies obtain this service from an independent inspection body because:
- Impartiality: an independent third party — not the user or seller of the equipment — performs the inspection. The report's validity for audits and insurance depends on this.
- Traceable records: a digital, verifiable report instead of a paper form that gets lost.
ASİS UK provides this service as an independent third-party inspection body; our inspection activities are in the TÜRKAK accreditation process. Third parties can verify the validity of issued reports on the Verify Certificate page.
What happens if you skip it?
- Legal penalty: administrative fines under occupational health & safety law; the non-compliant equipment may be taken out of use.
- Accident liability: if an accident occurs with equipment that was not periodically inspected, the employer's fault is aggravated — both civil and criminal liability.
- Insurance: workplace/liability policies may exclude damage involving equipment without a periodic-inspection report.
- Tenders & customer audits: main contractors and OEMs ask for periodic-inspection records in supplier audits.
How the process works
| Step | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment inventory | 1–2 days | Which equipment, which group, which interval |
| On-site inspection | Depends on equipment count | Visual + functional + measurement (pressure, earthing resistance, etc.) |
| Reporting | 2–5 business days | Compliant / non-compliant / conditionally compliant + findings |
| Follow-up | Before expiry | Reminder of the next inspection date |
Often confused: periodic inspection ≠ certification
- Periodic inspection: the regular examination of existing equipment to confirm it operates safely (e.g. the annual inspection of a crane).
- Certification: certifying the conformity of a management system (such as ISO 9001) or a product to a standard.
These are different services; ASİS UK provides both, but as separate processes.
Next step
Share your equipment inventory and we will prepare a periodic-inspection calendar and quote tailored to you. Reach us through the Request a Quote form; our expert will get back to you within 24 hours. If an inspection is out of scope or unnecessary, we will tell you honestly.
— ASİS UK Inspection Team