Electrical, fire safety and lifts — periodic checks (Switzerland)
A list of checks and obligations with their cadence, ready to add to your agenda.
For Swiss building owners, facility managers and companies. Covers the periodic inspection of low-voltage electrical installations with a safety certificate (SiNa) under the NIV, lightning protection system checks, maintenance of fire detection systems and safety lighting under the VKF fire protection regulations, fire safety organisation and lift maintenance. On portable extinguishers it carries only the underlying rule — since 2015 the regulations no longer set a servicing interval — and leaves the rest to the dedicated kit; it does NOT cover process sprinkler systems or structural surveys of the building.
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Ask what is in the manuals, how often the maintenance is due and what it takes to do it.
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- 8 planned checks, the most frequent every month since the last inspection
Planned checks
Informative summary verified on 12/09/2026. It does not replace legal advice: the regulation cited prevails. If you spot an error, report it.
Some checks are only mandatory in certain countries: pick yours and the list follows.
In Italy this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In France this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Germany this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
- 01
Have the periodic electrical inspection carried out (business premises)
Workshops, offices, shops, farms and fire-hazard rooms must have the electrical installation inspected every ten years and submit the SiNa to the network operator. Proof: the SiNa with the test report and the list of rectified defects. Applies with differentiated periods: 10 years for workshops, offices, shops, churches, fire-hazard rooms, farms and joineries; 5 years for premises with large numbers of people (department stores, schools, cinemas, care homes, restaurants, hotels, medical practices); 3 years for filling stations; 1 year for construction sites, temporary installations and market stalls. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every 120 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationNIV/OIBT (SR 734.27) Art. 36 und Art. 37, AnhangSwitzerland onlySource - 02
Check the safety lighting every month
Check the operational readiness of the safety and escape-route lighting every month, including single-battery luminaires with central status indication and self-test, and additionally check the battery charge state once a year. Proof: the safety lighting inspection log. Applies to buildings with safety lighting required by the fire protection regulations (premises with large numbers of people, hotels, schools, high-rise buildings, car parks).
every month since the last inspectionLegal obligationVKF-Brandschutzrichtlinie 17-15 «Kennzeichnung von Fluchtwegen, Sicherheitsbeleuchtung, Sicherheitsstromversorgung» Ziff. 4.3; SN EN 50172 Ziff. 7.2Switzerland onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 03
Have the lightning protection system inspected
The lightning protection system must be checked periodically: mandatory systems by an accredited inspection body, voluntary systems by a VKF-certified external lightning protection specialist. Proof: the inspection report. Applies to buildings with a mandatory or voluntary lightning protection system: in the Canton of Zurich mandatory class II and III systems are checked every 10 years, class I systems and systems exposed to corrosion or environmental influences every 3 years, and voluntary systems at least every 10 years.
every 120 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationVKF-Brandschutzrichtlinie 22-15 «Blitzschutzsysteme» (Brandschutzvorschriften 2015); VKF-Brandschutznorm Art. 43; ZH: GVZ-Weisung 20-06 vom 1. Januar 2015 (§ 14 Abs. 2 FFG, §§ 1 und 7 VVB)Switzerland onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 04
Have the periodic electrical inspection carried out (residential)
The owner of a residential building has the low-voltage installation inspected by an independent inspection body and submits the safety certificate (Sicherheitsnachweis, SiNa) to the network operator, which sends a written invitation before the control period expires. Proof: the signed SiNa with the test report. Applies to residential buildings, with a stated control period of 20 years to be confirmed with the network operator. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every 240 months since the last inspectionLegal obligationNIV/OIBT (SR 734.27) Art. 36 und Art. 37, AnhangSwitzerland onlySource - 05
Keep the fire safety concept and emergency organisation up to date
Keep the building fire safety concept, the evacuation plans, the fire safety officer where required and the self-inspection log (Kontrollbuch) up to date, and deliver and document staff instruction and drills, with an annual management review. Proof: the company fire safety log. Applies to buildings and companies with organisational fire protection duties according to their risk category and the decision of the cantonal fire authority.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsLegal obligationVKF-Brandschutznorm und Brandschutzrichtlinie Organisatorischer Brandschutz (Brandschutzvorschriften 2015)Switzerland onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 06
Have the fire detection system serviced
The owner ensures the system is permanently ready for operation and regulates maintenance and repairs by contract; maintenance is carried out by a VKF-recognised specialist firm at the intervals prescribed by the manufacturer and the SES directive, and the results are reported in writing. The inspection cycle for mandatory systems is set by the cantonal fire authority according to the type, size and use of the building. Proof: the signed service report. Applies to buildings with a fire detection system required by the fire protection regulations or installed voluntarily and connected to the alarm centre; voluntary systems are not subject to the authority's periodic inspections but remain subject to the owner's maintenance duty.
every 12 months since the last jobLegal obligationVKF-Brandschutzvorschriften 2015, Brandschutzrichtlinie Brandmeldeanlagen; SES-Richtlinie für Brandmeldeanlagen (1.7.2021); kantonale Brandschutzweisungen (Beispiel: SZ, Ziff. 7.3 und 8.1)Switzerland onlySourceverified on 11/09/2026 - 07
Have the lift serviced periodically
The owner or operator is responsible for the operational safety of the lift and fulfils the duty of care by entering into a maintenance contract with a specialist firm, at the intervals stated by the manufacturer in the operating and maintenance instructions. Proof: the service reports and the plant log book. Applies to lift owners and operators in Switzerland; existing lifts are additionally subject to the safety upgrade measures (SNEL/SIA 370.080) and to cantonal building rules. Cadence to be confirmed on the cited source.
every 12 months since the last jobLegal obligationAufzugsverordnung (SR 930.112)Switzerland onlySource - 08
Know that extinguishers have no statutory interval
Since the 2015 edition, the VKF fire protection regulations no longer set a servicing interval for portable extinguishers: what binds is the manufacturer's instruction, and the Swiss extinguisher industry additionally recommends servicing every three years. The operator still has to ensure the devices are ready for use, but there is no numeric interval to meet: any deadline quoted as an obligation should be traced back either to the manufacturer or to the industry recommendation. The annual review exists to read those dates again in the device register. Only one Swiss industry source covers this point; the operational detail lives in the dedicated extinguisher kit.
continuous check, confirm every 12 monthsRecommendedBrandschutzvorschriften VKF/AICAA, Ausgabe 2015 (BSV 2015); Empfehlung Löschgeräteverband Schweiz (LGVS)Switzerland onlySourceverified on 12/09/2026
In Austria this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United Kingdom this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Spain this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Portugal this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In United States this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
In Other country this product has no planned checks: the ones listed apply to other countries.
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