Equipment inspections strengthen safety culture
The ETH Executive Board has approved the “Concept for Periodic Equipment Inspection (GeP)”. This makes the heads of organisational units responsible for equipment testing and the safety of electrical equipment in their area.
ETH Zurich has an exemplary safety culture. However, electrical accidents do happen. Periodic and post-repair testing of electrical equipment enhances occupational safety. In addition, equipment testing (GeP) is mandatory – as an employer, ETH Zurich is required by law to ensure the safety of its electrical equipment.
ETH has developed its “Concept for Periodic Equipment Inspection (GeP)” to both strengthen electrical accident prevention and meet its legal requirements. The GeP Concept serves as a guideline and reference for implementation. It was approved and adopted by the Executive Board this summer.
Equipment owners are responsible
The concept states that equipment owners are responsible for conducting equipment testing. At ETH, these are the professors and the other heads of organisational units. These responsible parties commission internal staff or external inspection companies to carry out the equipment tests. These GeP inspectors ensure that the tests are carried out correctly, that they are documented, and that the equipment is properly labelled.
Electrical devices typically receive a green inspection sticker after the test. New devices are labelled with a gray sticker. Orange and red labels indicate that the corresponding equipment needs to be repaired.
Pragmatic approach
ETH Zurich's concept for equipment testing (GeP) is based on a specific risk analysis and therefore allows for a pragmatic approach. Those responsible for implementation can plan the equipment testing according to their needs and to carry it out in such a way that minimises disruption to teaching, research and operations.
Users of the equipment shall visually inspect the equipment to determine any externally visible defects and, as far as possible, the suitability of the equipment for its intended location and purpose. They report defective equipment to the responsible person in their unit.
The SSHE (Safety, Security, Health and Environment), E&S (Engineering and Systems) and FS (Facility Services) departments provide tools – such as test equipment that can be borrowed free of charge – advise on implementation issues and conduct random and visual inspections for quality assurance purposes. If implementation complies with the ETH GeP concept and official external contractors are used for this purpose, these third-party costs can be reclaimed via the E&S department.
Further information
Downloads on equipment testingNote on the translation
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