Three levels
| Level | What is done |
|---|---|
| Visual | Without tools or access equipment: cracked housing, missing bolt, damaged cable, illegible label |
| Close | Using access equipment and, if needed, a ladder: loose fittings, gasket condition, gland tightness, dust build-up |
| Detailed | Opening the equipment and, where needed, isolating it: internal connections, gaps, integrity of the protection type |
How frequency is set
There is no single number. Frequency follows the type of zone, the protection type, the vibration, corrosion, temperature and dust the equipment is exposed to, and the manufacturer's information. The chosen frequency is written in the document with its reasoning — “annually” is not enough on its own; why annually is what belongs there.
Where findings cluster
- loose or wrong-type cable glands,
- missing or wrong bolts — one missing bolt on a flameproof enclosure means no protection,
- degraded gaskets and ingress of moisture,
- a dust layer on the housing — it raises the surface temperature,
- “temporary” modifications made during maintenance: a different cable, a drilled housing, an added junction box.
No record, no inspection
The record holds the item, the date, the level, the finding, who carried it out and how the finding was closed. An inspection record with an open finding does not show that inspection happens; it shows that the risk was known and left open — in an inspection that is a heavier finding than never having checked at all.