Verification of electrical grounding systems

The grounding check is a mandatory periodic check required by Presidential Decree Oct. 22, 2001 no. 462, which requires all employers with at least one worker in their company to have electrical systems inspected, either every two or five years.

Earthing verification can be carried out by MISE-approved bodies, based on the European technical standard UNI CEI. Verifications carried out by professionals or installation companies or other parties not included in the list published by the relevant Ministry are not valid for this purpose.

Facilities are subject to the inspections required by Presidential Decree 462/01:

• Electrical grounding systems
• Atmospheric discharge protection devices.
• Electrical installations in places with explosion hazards

Art. 4 of Presidential Decree 462 imposes an obligation on the employer to have the facility regularly maintained as well as inspected every 5 years. The periodicity is every two years in premises used for medical purposes and the like, as in the Institute’s institutional premises.

Presidential Decree 462/2001 also provides for extraordinary audits by ASL/ARPA or private bodies in some cases:

• Following a report with a negative result issued during periodic verification;
• as a result of substantial modification of the installation; “substantial modification” means those plant changes that affect a large part of the installation, for example: change of supply voltage from high to low voltage; power increases with modification of the main switchboard or substation; change of use where different regulations apply.
• At the specific request of the employer.

Failure to carry out the statutory audits is a noncompliance that is challenged to the employer by Ispesl, ASL, NAS, INL during supervisory activities. For this reason, the employer must be in possession of the inspection reports issued by the Inspection Bodies in order to be able to produce it during inspections by the relevant agencies.