In brief
When reading a periodic inspection report, first check that the report is valid, then that it covers the right equipment, and finally the result and defect sections. Under Annex III, equipment with a major defect is not operated until the defect is rectified, and minor defects are rectified before the start of the next inspection; equipment declared “unfit for use” is marked with a warning sign, and after the correction a second inspection produces a new report stating “fit for use”.
The report has arrived: where to start?
When the periodic inspection report for a forklift, a compressor tank or the electrical installation arrives, most businesses look only at the result on the last page and file the report away. Yet a periodic inspection report is a document that determines how the equipment will be used for a whole year: it tells you which defect must be rectified by when, at what capacity the equipment may operate and when the next inspection is due.
The content of the report is set out in Annex III of the Regulation on Health and Safety Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment; Annex III was renewed on 23 December 2025. Inspection intervals and who may carry out inspections are covered in our article on periodic inspection intervals for work equipment. This article explains how to read the report in your hands and what to do after it. Read the report in three layers:
- Is it valid? Contract number, details and signature of the authorised person.
- Is it the right equipment? Do the serial number, location and technical details match the equipment on site?
- What does it say? Measurement and test results, defects, result and opinion.
Periodic inspection report contents: section by section
Annex III lists the sections to be included in the report one by one (Annex III, Art. 1.7). The table below summarises what to look for in each section:
| Section | Content | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| General information | Workplace name, SGK registration number, address, contract number, start and end date and time of the inspection, next inspection date, report date | Does the contract number match your contract in ISG-KATİP (the Ministry’s online OHS registration system)? Is the next inspection date in your calendar? |
| Inspection method | The standard or regulation applied; if none, the manufacturer’s recommendation or the risk assessment | Has a current standard been applied for the equipment? |
| Equipment details | Make, model, year of manufacture, serial number, place and purpose of use | Does the serial number match the equipment’s rating plate? |
| Test and measurement values | Tests performed, measured values | At what load or pressure was the test carried out? |
| Measuring instruments | Details and calibration of the instruments used | Is the calibration date valid? |
| Inspection criteria | Comparison of measured values with limit values | Where do they sit relative to the limit? Values very close to the limit should be monitored at the next inspection |
| Defect descriptions | Defects identified | Are the location, description and grade of each defect clear? |
| Notes | Additional information, restrictions | Is there a capacity restriction or a condition of use? |
| Result and opinion | Fit for use or unfit for use | Is there a clear verdict? |
| Authorised person | Name, profession, EKİPNET (the Ministry’s register of authorised inspectors) registration number, signature, number of copies | An unsigned report is invalid |
The person who maintains a piece of equipment may not carry out the periodic inspection of the same equipment. Also check that the person signing the report is not from the company that maintains that equipment.
Reading the result and opinion section
Annex III requires the result and opinion section to be clear: if there is a defect that prevents safe use, it must state plainly that the equipment may not be used until the nonconformity is eliminated; if there is no such defect, it must state that it may be used.
Vague phrases often encountered in the field include “conditionally fit”, “may be used provided the deficiencies are rectified” and “should be monitored”. When you see such a phrase, ask the authorised person for clarification: does the defect prevent safe use or not? Depending on the answer, either the equipment is stopped today or the defect is added to a follow-up list. There is no middle way.
Restrictions in the notes section are also part of the result. For example, if a crane has been tested at an operating capacity below the capacity on its label, that operating capacity is marked visibly on the equipment, and the equipment is not used above that value without being re-tested. It is not enough to tell the operator “the report is out”; tell them what capacity they are to work at.
Defect descriptions: minor defects, major defects and deadlines
For equipment for which the Ministry has published a report format and criteria document, defects are graded as minor and major (Annex III, Art. 1.9.1). The authorised person decides which defect falls into which grade according to that document; the business’s task is to apply the consequence of the grade.
| Grade | Meaning | Defect rectification period | If not rectified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major defect | Prevents safe use | The equipment is not operated until the defect is rectified | The equipment remains out of service |
| Minor defect | Does not prevent safe use today | By the start date of the next periodic inspection | It counts as a major defect on that date |
| No grading | Equipment without a published document | According to the result and opinion section | If the result is “unfit for use”, the equipment is stopped |
The period allowed for a minor defect may seem long, but it is there for the defect to be rectified in a planned way, not for it to be forgotten for a year. If the same minor defect is still there at the next inspection, the equipment is treated as having a major defect that day and is stopped. So record every minor defect on a follow-up list with an owner and a target date.
If the periodic inspection says “unfit”
If the report states that the equipment may not be used, the employer indicates this with an easily visible warning sign (Annex III, Art. 1.9). On site, this means the following steps:
- Stop the equipment immediately. Do not leave a “let’s finish this shift” gap between the arrival of the report and stopping the equipment.
- Put up a warning sign: an “Unfit for use” warning on the equipment, where the operator will see it.
- Prevent it from being operated: The key is removed, and the power supply is isolated and locked; for energy isolation and locking, see our article on lockout and tagout (LOTO).
- Inform users: Operators, shift supervisors and the maintenance team know that the equipment has been stopped and why.
- Plan an alternative: The work is carried out with hired or other equipment, not with the defective equipment. Ask for the current periodic inspection report of hired equipment when you take delivery.
There is a separate rule for defects that arise between inspections: equipment found to have a crack or excessive wear during the pre-use check is taken out of service immediately and sent for periodic inspection. The operator’s daily check catches these defects without waiting for the next report; for the forklift example, see our article on the forklift operator’s daily check.
Re-inspection after correction
Once the deficiency has been rectified, a second inspection is carried out and a new report stating that the equipment may be used is issued. Two mistakes are common at this stage:
- Settling for the repair invoice: A “repaired” note from the service that carried out the repair does not replace the second inspection report. The rule that the person maintaining the equipment may not carry out its periodic inspection also applies here.
- Treating the old report as current: Equipment stated as “unfit for use” in the first report may not be used until the second report arrives. Keep both reports together in the file; during an inspection by the authorities, these two reports show when the defect was rectified.
What to do after the report: filing and follow-up
Periodic inspection reports are kept for as long as the equipment is in use, and maintenance and repair records for the entire service life of the equipment. For portable equipment used outside the premises that requires no installation, the latest report is kept with the equipment. Reports with secure electronic signatures are valid alongside reports with wet signatures.
Before filing the report, do the following:
- Enter the next inspection date in the OHS calendar.
- Record each defect on the follow-up list with an owner and a target date.
- Incorporate major defects and capacity restrictions into the risk assessment.
- If the measured values in the report are close to the limit, consider increasing the inspection frequency; Annex III states that the frequency may be increased according to ambient conditions, intensity of use, age and previous inspection results.
A deficiency frequently found during inspections by the authorities is a report with an “unfit” result that has no correction record next to it; for the file as a whole, see our article on the contents of the OHS file. The basic administrative fine for 2026 for failing to have the required inspections and measurements carried out is 33,326 TL. To draw up your equipment inventory, plan inspections and follow up the defects in reports, see our periodic inspection service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we use the equipment if the periodic inspection report says “unfit”?
No. The equipment is not used until the nonconformity is eliminated, and an easily visible warning sign is placed on it. After the deficiency has been rectified, a second inspection is carried out and a new report stating “fit for use” is obtained.
What is the rectification period for a minor defect?
Minor defects are rectified by the start date of the next periodic inspection. A minor defect not rectified by that date counts as a major defect, and the equipment is not operated until the defect is rectified.
Can the company that carried out the repair also do the second inspection?
No. Persons who maintain work equipment may not carry out the periodic inspection of the equipment they maintain. Have the second inspection carried out by an authorised person independent of maintenance.
How long is a periodic inspection report kept?
The report is kept for as long as the equipment is in use; maintenance and repair records are kept for the entire service life of the equipment.
Equipment inventory and an inspection calendar under the new Annex III, with inspections carried out through our solution partners, plus report and defect follow-up.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.