New Era in Grounding Installation Inspections
Periodic inspections of electrical installations, especially periodic inspections of earthing installations, play a vital role in occupational health and safety. As of September 1, 2025, electrical periodic control forms and criteria, which will become mandatory, have initiated a comprehensive standardization process in this field. These new regulations aim to ensure uniformity in practices and raise occupational safety standards. These forms, published by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, contain detailed criteria in line with the demands of labor inspectors.
Importance of Grounding Installation Periodic Inspection
Importance The safe use of work equipment is the basis for a healthy and safe working environment. Electrical installation inspection, and in particular earthing installation inspection, is essential to protect workers from serious risks such as electric shock, fire and explosion. Employers are obliged to ensure that equipment is in safe working order. A new periodic inspection is mandatory after “major maintenance and repair” such as changing the main column cross-section or at least 20% power change in electrical internal installations or high current installations.
Scope and Critical Equipment Controlled
With the new mandatory forms, the main electrical installation and earthing installation equipment to be checked in the first place are as follows:
- Low Voltage Grounding Installation: Grounding resistance measurements.
- Lightning Protection Installation: Grounding continuity and effectiveness of lightning protection systems (active lightning rods, catch rods, Faraday cage) are checked.
- Transformers (up to 36 kV): Visual inspection and earthing inspections are performed.
- Electrical Panel Visual and Function Control: Grounding connections, conductor cross-sections and floor insulation of electrical panels are examined within this scope. Thermographic control is especially important for the detection of heating risks.
In the following stages, areas such as accumulator periodic control, generator control, electric vehicle charging station inspection and cathodic protection inspection will be included in the scope. The conformity inspection of electrical equipment used in explosive atmospheres is also within the scope of work equipment periodic control.
Measurement Methods and Basic Control Criteria
Various measurement methods are used in grounding inspections. These include the loop impedance, the three-pronged stake method and the clamp method. One of the most important criteria is the assessment of the suitability of the earthing resistance value. However, resistance measurement alone is not enough. To verify whether the system is automatically disconnected from the supply, the earth short-circuit current must be specified and checked to see if this current triggers the protection device (fuse or residual current relay (RCD)) to trip.Residual current relay testing is vital; tripping current and tripping time tests are carried out and the tripping time must not exceed 200 milliseconds. In addition, selectivity checks of RCDs are also a critical element. For example, when a leakage occurs in a machine, it is important for the continuity and safety of the system that only the RCD closest to that machine trips and the RCD in the main panel does not trip.
Situations Considered as Gross Negligence
- When safety conditions are not met (insufficient earthing or no protection system).
- Lack of earthing connection.
- The RCD is not active.
- Failure to use a 30 mA residual current device (RCD) in general use installations up to 32 amperes and mobile appliance sockets. This is considered the only method of protection against direct touch and is a serious defect.
- Inability to take measurements due to high neutral-earth voltage.
- Lack of panel body-cover bridge.
- Insulation resistance less than 50 kOhm (for floor insulation).
Measurement Points:
- All points with a touch voltage below 1000 Volts and greater than 50 Volts must be measured.
- Continuity measurements of equipotential bonding conductors between metal components must be made.
- Floor insulation resistance measurement has also become mandatory.
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Professional Reporting and Defect Rating
The report formats published by the Ministry require the content to be complete and in a certain order. The trade name of the inspection body and the Türkak accreditation mark (if accredited) are mandatory in the reports. Reports must include the following basic sections:
- General and Equipment Information
- Test and Measurement Instruments Information
- Inspection Criteria and Tests Applied
- Defect Descriptions: Defects are classified as “slight defect” and “severe defect”. Equipment with severe defects cannot be operated until the defects are eliminated. Light defects must be eliminated until the next periodic control date, otherwise they must be considered as heavy defects.
- Notes, Conclusion and Authorized Person Approval. The EKİPNET registration number of the person performing the control must be included in the report. In addition, an appropriate contract must be drawn up and mutually signed in the OHS-KATIP system between the employer and the person authorized to perform periodic control at least 1 day before the service. Reports issued without a contract are considered invalid.
Legal Framework and Authorization
The procedures and principles of periodic controls are determined by the Regulation on Health and Safety Conditions in the Use of Work Equipment. Periodic checks of installations are carried out once a year unless otherwise specified in the relevant standards. For electrical, grounding and lightning protection installations, an installation project is required for periodic control; it is the responsibility of the employer to design the installations without a project in accordance with the Electrical Internal Installations Project Preparation Regulation and the relevant standards. The name, surname, title, diploma number of the engineer who approved the project must be included in the project.
Persons authorized to carry out periodic inspections must notify the Ministry via EKİPNET. There is no accreditation obligation in the field of electrical installation yet. However, Türkak plans to proceed as a “package” in which earthing, residual current relay tests, electrical panel visual and functional controls, thermographic controls and insulation tests will be handled as a whole. It is important to note that Joint Health and Safety Units (JHSU) and the people working in these units cannot provide periodic control services. Periodic checks carried out by unauthorized persons are deemed invalid and their authorization may be suspended.
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