VGP · the report
How to read a VGP report?
A VGP report identifies the machine, the inspector, the date and the content of the inspection, then gives the results. Read the findings first: these are the defects noted, which the employer must deal with, and some may require the machine to be stopped. A report with no findings means the machine is in good condition, not that it complies with every technical rule.
After a VGP (vérification générale périodique) inspection, you receive a report several pages long, sometimes called a "VGP sheet". Many fleet managers file it away without reading it in full. Here's how to read it in five minutes and what to do with it next.
What a VGP report must contain
For lifting equipment (aerial platforms, forklifts, cranes, machines fitted for lifting), the report follows the French ministerial order of 1 March 2004 (arrêté du 1er mars 2004). The INRS (French national research and safety institute) sets out the information it should include. Check they're all there: an incomplete report is hard to defend in the event of an inspection or an accident.
| Section | What you should see there |
|---|---|
| Inspector | The name of the person or body who carried out the inspection |
| Report identification | A unique number and the date of issue |
| Mission | The type of inspection (periodic, entry into service, re-entry into service) and its scope |
| Inspection date(s) | The day the machine was inspected: this is what starts the next deadline |
| Equipment | Identification of the machine: make, model, serial number, fleet number |
| Characteristics and safety devices | For lifting equipment: the main characteristics and a description of the safety devices |
| Test conditions | How the tests were carried out (load used, configuration) |
| Results | What was examined and any findings |
| Validation | A signature or another form of validation |
Reading the report in 5 minutes
- Check it's the right machine: compare the serial number on the report with the plate on the machine.
- Look at the inspection date and type of check: is it really a VGP inspection, and not a partial check?
- Go straight to the findings: how many are there, and which ones affect safety (brakes, limiters, structure, cables, chains)?
- Check whether the inspector recommends not using the machine until a defect is fixed.
- Read the test conditions: if the test load wasn't representative, or if a configuration wasn't checked, the inspection is partial.
- Note the date of the next VGP inspection in your tracking system.
Understanding the findings
The findings are the defects or faults noted by the inspector. Some reports also call these "reservations". The INRS is clear: the employer must act on every finding, whether the report is provisional or final. Depending on the nature of the finding, the machine may stay in service or must be taken out of service.
Two common traps. First, a report with no findings doesn't mean the machine complies with every technical rule: a VGP inspection checks the state of upkeep, not full compliance. A machine in perfect condition but missing a required safety device can pass with no findings. Second, if the inspection is partial (a configuration overlooked, a test load too low), it's up to the user to have the inspection completed.
If findings appear on a machine you've just bought or hired, contact the seller or rental company before changing anything.
Provisional report, final report: the deadlines
For lifting equipment, a provisional report is handed over at the end of the inspection. The final report must be sent to you within four weeks of the examinations and tests (arrêté du 1er mars 2004, article 3). Don't wait for the final report to act on a serious finding flagged in the provisional report.
The result of the inspection is entered on the safety register without delay. When the inspector is external to the company, their report is appended to the register, or failing that the register states the date of the inspection, the date the report was issued and where it's filed (French Labour Code articles R4323-25 and R4323-26).
After reading: the right reflexes
- Turn every finding into a job, with an owner and a date.
- Keep proof of the fix: job report, part replaced, photo, in the machine's maintenance logbook.
- Enter the result on the safety register and file the report with previous ones.
- Keep reports: the French Labour Code requires keeping those from the last five years and, in any case, those from the last two inspections (article D4711-3).
- The register and reports can be kept on paper or digitally (article R4323-27).
- Update the date of the next VGP inspection in your spreadsheet or software.
What Trackary does, and what it doesn't do
Trackary records the date of each VGP inspection and shows the next deadline on the machine's record. The inspection report can be stored among the machine's documents, as a PDF. Every finding can become a fault to deal with, scheduled into a technician's slot, then closed off with a report that joins the maintenance logbook.
Trackary does not carry out VGP inspections, doesn't read the report for you and doesn't replace the inspection body. The decision to keep a machine in service or take it out of service remains the employer's, based on the report.
Are your VGP reports sitting in a binder with findings slipping through the cracks? Trackary files the report on the machine's record and turns every finding into a tracked job. Request a demo →