REVIEWS

Inspections of ground and atmospheric discharge systems

Employers must ensure the safety of the work environment, so they are required to require periodic verification of electrical grounding systems, atmospheric discharge protection devices and electrical systems installed in places with explosion hazards (Presidential Decree 462/01).

In fact, the Employer is required to possess the inspection report issued by the Inspection Body licensed by the Ministry of Economic Development (as an alternative to ASL/ARPA), so that it can be produced in the event of inspection by the relevant agencies.

Verifications carried out by professionals or installation companies are not considered valid in case of inspection.

Periodicity of audits:

  • 2 YEARS for all electrical installations serving:
  • Environments at greatest risk in case of fire:

production activities of any sector and kind subject to control and issuance of the ICC by the Fire Department, activities with specific risks e.g. public performance and entertainment venues, hotels, boarding houses, garages, hospitals, municipalities, libraries, museums, galleries, old people’s rest homes, schools, supermarkets, shopping malls, warehouses, stores, etc.

  • Places with danger of explosion:

environments in which the processing, conveying, handling or storage of explosive materials, flammable fluids/dusts takes place are so defined.

  • Construction sites:

are places where there are temporary electrical installations for construction work on new buildings; renovation, maintenance, conversion, expansion or demolition work on existing buildings; and earth moving and quarry work.

  • Premises used for medical purposes:

are the rooms intended for diagnostic, therapeutic, surgical, surveillance or rehabilitation purposes, including aesthetic treatments.

  • 5 YEARS for all other cases.

Our partner company is a Type A Inspection Body, duly licensed by the Ministry to carry out periodic and extraordinary inspections of electrical installations called for in Presidential Decree 462/01:

  • Installations and devices for protection against atmospheric discharge;
  • Grounding systems of systems powered up to 1000 V;
  • Grounding systems of systems powered over 1000 V;
  • Electrical systems installed in workplaces with explosion hazards.

The periodicity time is considered to start from the completion of the new installation or complete redo

SANCTIONS

The Employer may incur the following main penalties (Legislative Decree 81/08 and Presidential Decree 461/02)
All fines are to be increased by 9.60% in relation to what was enacted by L.99/2013

Criminal penalties are provided for:

  1. Failure to verify grounding systems;
  2. Failure to assess lightning risk;
  3. Failure to prepare the document for the calculation of explosion hazard zones;
  4. Lack of protection from contact risk;
  5. Lack of surge protection.

3 to 6 months or fine of 2,500 to 6,400 euros

Failure to protect against contact risk: 2 to 4 months or fine of 1,000 to 4,800 euros

Administrative penalties if periodic maintenance is not carried out on grounding systems, atmospheric discharge protection systems and electrical systems in explosion hazard zones: penalty between 500 and 1800 euros

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