Who May Carry Out the UVV Inspection? The Competent Person Explained
Short Answer: Who May Carry Out the UVV Inspection?
The question "who may carry out the UVV inspection?" has a clear statutory answer — and considerable practical consequences if it is answered wrongly. A UVV inspection by an unqualified person is legally worthless: the label counts as never issued, and the work equipment as uninspected.
The inspection must be carried out by a competent person as defined in TRBS 1203. That is a person with relevant vocational training, demonstrated professional experience with the type of work equipment concerned, and recent professional activity in that field. For certain crane classes, an expert from an accredited inspection organisation (TÜV, DEKRA, GTÜ) is additionally or exclusively prescribed.
The Competent Person under TRBS 1203
The Technical Rule for Industrial Safety (TRBS) 1203 defines the requirements for competent persons. Three criteria must be met cumulatively:
Relevant vocational training
The training must enable the person to understand the equipment being inspected. For a forklift UVV inspection that can be a mechatronics technician or a motor vehicle technician; for mobile elevating work platforms a mechatronics technician or an agricultural and construction machinery mechanic; for cranes an engineer or technician specialising in crane inspections.
Professional experience with the work equipment concerned
The experience must relate to the specific machine type. Anyone whose experience is limited to cars is not a competent person for forklift inspections — even with the same vocational background.
Recent professional activity
Activity in the relevant field must be recent relative to the inspection — training in the past without current practice is not sufficient. The rules do not define "recent" precisely; as a guide, a gap of no more than 2–3 years without practical activity involving that type of work equipment applies.
Competent Person, Qualified Person, Expert: The Distinction
These three terms are frequently confused in practice — but they have different meanings and different legal requirements:
| Term | Requirement | Used for | Typical actors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competent person (TRBS 1203) | Training + professional experience + recent activity | Annual UVV inspection of most work equipment (forklifts, platforms, construction machinery) | Internal safety technicians, external inspectors with specialist knowledge |
| Qualified person | Competent person with crane-specific expertise | Annual routine crane inspection under DGUV Regulation 52 | Specialist fitters, crane specialists |
| Expert | Accreditation by TÜV, DEKRA, GTÜ or similar | Recurring expert inspections for certain crane classes; greater inspection depth | Accredited inspection engineers |
The terms build on one another: every expert is also a competent person, but not every competent person is an expert.
Who May Inspect Which Machine?
Forklifts / industrial trucks
Inspector: competent person under TRBS 1203 with professional experience in the field of industrial trucks. No expert inspection required. Details: UVV inspection forklifts →
Construction machinery
Inspector: competent person under TRBS 1203 with knowledge of the machine class concerned. Details: UVV inspection construction machinery →
Cranes
Annual routine inspection: qualified person (competent person with crane-specific expertise). Recurring expert inspection for certain crane classes: mandatory by an accredited expert. Details: UVV inspection cranes →
Mobile elevating work platforms
Inspector: competent person under TRBS 1203 with the relevant qualification for mobile elevating work platforms under DGUV Principle 308-009. Details: UVV inspection work platforms →
Internal or External Inspection: Deciding
A competent person can be engaged internally (within your own company) or externally (from an inspection organisation). Criteria for weighing this up:
Internal inspection makes sense where:
- There is a large in-house machine fleet and the corresponding qualification is available
- Inspection staff receive regular further training and are recently active
- Documentation processes are established
External inspection makes sense where:
- The machine fleet is small or heterogeneous
- No internally qualified persons are available
- Qualifying as a competent person is not economically worthwhile
- An expert inspection is prescribed by law (certain crane classes)
For rental machines from Luibl Rental this decision falls away: as lessor, Luibl Rental takes on the organisation of inspections and delivers all work equipment with a valid inspection label.
How Do You Become a Competent Person?
Qualification as a competent person is obtained through external, recognised providers — Luibl Rental does not offer training or qualification measures. Possible routes:
- Internal or external seminars from recognised training institutions (for example DEKRA Akademie, TÜV training centres, BG BAU training centres, the VDMA training institute)
- Further training offered by the responsible employers' liability insurance association
- Manufacturer-specific qualification programmes for certain machine classes
Rent machines with a valid inspection label → | Send an enquiry →
Frequently Asked Questions
Who may carry out a UVV inspection?
A competent person under TRBS 1203 — with relevant vocational training, professional experience with the type of work equipment concerned and recent professional activity. For certain crane classes, an expert from an accredited inspection organisation is additionally required.
What is a competent person under TRBS 1203?
A competent person is someone with relevant vocational training, demonstrated experience and recent activity in the field of the work equipment being inspected. They do not have to show certification from an external body — the qualification follows from training, experience and currency.
May the boss carry out the UVV inspection personally?
Yes — if they meet the requirements of TRBS 1203: relevant training, professional experience with the specific machine type and recent activity. An inspection by a person without this qualification is legally worthless.
When must an expert carry out the inspection?
For certain crane classes, DGUV Regulation 52 prescribes expert inspections by accredited inspection organisations (TÜV, DEKRA, GTÜ) — in addition to the annual inspection by a qualified person. Which crane class requires which inspection is governed by DGUV Regulation 52.
Where can you qualify as a competent person?
Through external, recognised training providers: DEKRA Akademie, TÜV training centres, BG BAU training centres or manufacturer-specific programmes. Luibl Rental does not offer training or qualification.