Immediate answer: An inspection from the Regional Labour Inspectorate (OIP) is no reason to panic if you have systematically maintained H&S documentation, valid inspections, and verifiable training records. The most common problems are expired electrical appliance inspections, missing training attendance sheets, and an out-of-date risk register. Go through the following checklist in advance, because retrospective remedial action under time pressure is always more difficult than ongoing preparedness. For designated technical equipment, penalties can reach up to CZK 2,000,000, so it pays not to leave anything to chance.
Labour inspectorate inspections are a routine part of business life – whether they come as planned, or as a result of a report following a workplace accident or an anonymous complaint. The aim of this article is not to cause alarm, but to offer practical guidance on how to prepare calmly for an inspector’s visit. After all, when the documentation matches reality and inspections are not expired, there is no reason for stress.
Seven areas to review
The following overview is based on the areas that OIP inspectors typically examine during inspections focused on H&S and technical inspections. It is a practical checklist, not an official list – the exact scope always depends on the specific focus of the inspection.
① H&S documentation
The cornerstone that the inspector will head for first. You must have written H&S documentation in place that corresponds to the actual operations of the company. What to have ready: job categorisation (classification into categories according to risk level), a risk register and risk assessment for individual positions, and related internal directives. Formal documentation copied from the internet with no link to real conditions is easily detected by inspectors and will not help.
② Employee training records
You must be able to provide written evidence of every H&S and fire safety training session. The inspector will want to see attendance sheets with employees’ signatures, training syllabi, and evidence of compliance with statutory deadlines (training periodicity). What to have ready: a complete file with all training – both initial and periodic – including the dates when the next sessions are due. Electronic forms of record-keeping are permissible, but it must be clear from them who completed the training and what its content was.
③ Inspection reports
The most common source of problems. Inspections must be valid and the inspection technician must hold the appropriate authorisation. What to have ready:
- Inspections of electrical appliances and hand-held tools – in accordance with ČSN 33 1600 ed. 2 and related standards, at regular intervals based on the environment. Expired labels on an electric kettle can ruin an inspector’s day just as much as an uninspected drill in the workshop.
- Electrical installation inspections – in accordance with ČSN 33 1500, Act No. 250/2021 Coll., and Government Regulation No. 190/2022. The inspector is interested in both initial inspections and periodic inspections of the installations.
- Lightning conductors and other designated technical equipment (DTE) – if they apply to you, the same regime of regular checks and inspections must be in place for them as for electrical systems.
④ Accident book and records of workplace accidents
Every workplace accident must be recorded, even the seemingly trivial ones. What to have ready: an accident book (which may be in electronic form), records of workplace accidents with a description of the event and the measures taken. An empty accident book at a company with several dozen employees looks suspicious – the inspector may look into whether recording was also missing for accidents that did occur.
⑤ Occupational health services
The obligation to provide occupational health examinations applies even to small administrative operations. What to have ready: a valid contract with an occupational health services provider and evidence that employees have completed initial and periodic examinations. Keep track of periodic examination dates – an expired examination means the employee is formally not permitted to perform the work in question.
⑥ Personal protective equipment (PPE)
It is not enough to buy and distribute PPE – you must have documented a risk assessment on the basis of which you assigned specific protective equipment. What to have ready: a written assessment according to which PPE is assigned, and evidence of its handover (signed by the employee). A universal PPE pack for everyone without differentiating by position is a warning sign for an inspector.
⑦ Fire safety
Fire safety is formally supervised by the Fire and Rescue Service, but OIP inspectors often ask about it too – particularly in premises with increased fire risk. Having fire safety documentation and fire extinguisher inspections in order pays off as evidence of overall preparedness. What to have ready: fire alarm directives, a fire evacuation plan, and valid inspection labels on fire extinguishers. It is precisely the latter that are among the things easily overlooked.
Most common findings in practice
Even experienced companies occasionally encounter shortcomings that can, however, be easily addressed with ongoing care. The most common finding is expired electrical appliance inspections – particularly for small office equipment that no one systematically looks after. Closely following are formally neglected H&S training sessions – missing attendance sheets, syllabi that do not correspond to the trainees’ job content, or periodic training that was „not managed in time" and documentation is written up retrospectively. Another frequent failing is missing or out-of-date job categorisation and an accident book that exists only formally, without real entries. All these weaknesses have a common denominator: they lead to unnecessary penalties, even though their remedy is usually quick.
What to do when an inspection is already at the door
Stay calm and maintain a professional approach. Provide the inspector with all the documentation they request and do not provide false information. If you cannot find a particular document immediately, say so and agree on providing it additionally within a specified deadline. Open communication tends to be rated better than attempts to obscure things. What you provide by the deadline can influence the amount of any potential penalty. Carefully monitor the course of the inspection and the conclusions of the report – you have the right to comment on them and to appeal against any penalties. However, do not rely on an appeal to resolve missing documentation – that needs to be put in order regardless of the inspection outcome.
Prepare sooner: internal audit
The best defence against trouble is knowing where you stand before the inspector finds out. ITHOPE provides electrical inspections, complete H&S documentation, and employee training as a single supplier for businesses in Brno and surrounding areas. Before a potential OIP inspection, we can conduct an internal readiness audit for you, which will reveal weak points and allow you to rectify them calmly. The advantage is clear: instead of phoning around several suppliers and manually linking inspection dates with training, you get everything in one integrated package with mutual continuity.
Related services:
- H&S for businesses
- Electrical inspections
- Employee training
- Inspections and training for businesses
- Electrical appliance inspection intervals
Frequently asked questions
Is an OIP inspection announced in advance? It depends on the type of inspection – planned inspections are sometimes announced, whereas inspections triggered by a report (following an accident or complaint) generally are not. Readiness for an inspection must therefore be a permanent state, not a last-minute sprint after receiving notification. Continuously maintained documentation and adherence to inspection intervals are the only reliable strategy.
Does all of this also apply to a small office-based company? Yes, albeit to an appropriate extent. Even an administrative operation needs prepared H&S documentation, trained employees, inspected electrical appliances, and a contract for occupational health services. Inspectors take into account the size and nature of the operation – they are not looking for designated technical equipment at a five-person accountancy firm, but the basic checklist applies universally.
How much does it cost to get everything in order? Costs depend on the scope of services your company requires. The starting point is an audit of the current state, which will show exactly what is missing and to what extent the documentation and inspections need to be supplemented. Only on that basis can a specific price proposal be drawn up.
Get rid of inspection stress today
A labour inspectorate inspection need not be a source of sleepless nights. All it takes is for your company to be prepared – and we will help you with that. Get in touch and we will arrange an internal readiness audit. We will take care of electrical inspections, H&S documentation, and employee training for you, so you can focus on your own business.
ITHOPE – H&S, inspections and training from a single source for businesses in Brno and surrounding areas
Write to info@ithope.cz or call +420 774 777 774.