VGP · inspection intervals
How often is a VGP required? Intervals by equipment type
Under the French ministerial order of 1 March 2004 (article 23), the VGP inspection of a lifting appliance takes place every 12 months as a general rule, but every 6 months for aerial work platforms, forklift trucks, mobile and loading cranes, builders' hoists and earthmoving machines fitted for lifting. It drops to 3 months for manually operated appliances that raise a work platform.
The question "VGP every 6 months or every year?" depends on the type of appliance and how it is used. Here is the table drawn from the official text and the INRS ED 6339 guide, followed by the cases that cause hesitation: excavators, loaders, lift tables.
Table of VGP intervals by equipment type
Maximum intervals for the VGP (vérification générale périodique, the periodic thorough inspection French law requires for lifting equipment), set by the order of 1 March 2004 for lifting appliances and accessories, and by the order of 5 March 1993 for earthmoving machines. The factsheets in the INRS ED 6339 guide repeat these values appliance by appliance.
| Equipment type | Interval | Text |
|---|---|---|
| Aerial work platform (MEWP: mobile elevating work platform) | 6 months | 2004 order, art. 20-II and 23 |
| Self-propelled forklift truck, including telehandlers | 6 months | 2004 order, art. 20-II and 23 |
| Excavator, mini excavator, wheel loader fitted for lifting (hook, ring, forks) | 6 months for the lifting function | 2004 order, art. 20-II and 23 |
| Excavator, mini excavator, wheel loader, dozer, ride-on (as construction equipment) | 12 months | 1993 order, art. 2 |
| Mobile crane, loading crane (lorry-mounted crane) | 6 months | 2004 order, art. 20-II and 23 |
| Self-erecting tower crane, on outriggers | 6 months | 2004 order, art. 20-II and 23 |
| Tower crane erected by components | 12 months | 2004 order, art. 23; INRS ED 6339, factsheet 1 |
| Tail lift, furniture hoist, builders' material hoist, lifting arm for removable skips | 6 months | 2004 order, art. 20-II and 23 |
| Site lift, mast platform, motorised suspended platform | 6 months | 2004 order, art. 23 a) |
| Manually operated platform or flying scaffold (raises a work platform) | 3 months | 2004 order, art. 23 b) |
| Lift table | 12 months; 6 months if it lifts people | 2004 order, art. 23; INRS ED 6339, factsheet 14 |
| Overhead crane, gantry crane, fixed-installed hoist and winch, pedestal jib crane | 12 months | 2004 order, art. 23 |
| Vehicle lift (workshop) | 12 months | 2004 order, art. 23; INRS ED 6339, factsheet 15 |
| Manual forklift or stacker truck | 12 months (6 months recommended by INRS) | 2004 order, art. 23; INRS ED 6339, factsheet 20 |
| Lifting accessories: slings, spreader beams, clamps, shackles | 12 months | 2004 order, art. 24 |
Why some equipment has a VGP every 6 months
Article 23 of the order sets 6 months for two families of appliance. The first covers motor-driven appliances (as opposed to manually operated ones) that carry people or raise a work platform: aerial work platforms, mast platforms, site lifts. If they fail, a person falls directly.
The second covers the mobile appliances listed in article 20-II: mobile and loading cranes, forklift trucks, earthmoving machines fitted for lifting, aerial work platforms, tail lifts... These machines often change site. The text exempts them from a recommissioning inspection at every change of site, provided they have had a VGP inspection less than 6 months earlier in the same configuration. The six-monthly VGP therefore makes up for the absence of a check on every move.
All other lifting appliances remain on a 12-month cycle. Manually operated appliances that raise a work platform drop to 3 months.
Mini excavator, excavator and wheel loader: 6 or 12 months?
An excavator or a wheel loader is not inherently a lifting appliance. But the annex of the order of 1 March 2004 cites "earthmoving machines fitted for handling objects". As soon as an excavator or mini excavator is used to lift loads with a hook or lifting ring, or a wheel loader carries forks, it falls under the six-monthly lifting VGP. Prévention BTP confirms this for hydraulic excavators used in lifting.
At the same time, the order of 5 March 1993 requires an annual VGP for "mobile extraction and earthmoving machines [...] with a ride-on operator". The INRS ED 6339 and ED 828 guides state that the two inspections add up. In practice, a ride-on mini excavator has a VGP at least once a year, and every 6 months for its lifting function if it has one. If in doubt about your machine's configuration, ask your inspection body.
Cases that change the deadline
- Interchangeable equipment: a telehandler with forks, a platform basket and a jib is inspected in each of its configurations (INRS, ED 6339).
- Recommissioning: after dismantling and reassembly, major repair of an essential component or an accident, a recommissioning inspection is required. For the same configuration, its report can stand in for a VGP.
- Severe conditions: the INRS points out that the intervals do not account for operating conditions. Intensive use or a corrosive environment may justify a more frequent inspection, decided after a risk assessment.
- Labour inspectorate: intervals may be shortened following a formal notice from the labour inspectorate (INRS, ED 6339).
- Hired equipment: the report of the last VGP must travel with the appliance. Check its date before putting it to work.
Calculating your next deadline
The calculator below applies the intervals from the table. Choose the equipment type, then enter the date of the last VGP shown on the report: you get the deadline and the number of days remaining. For a mini excavator fitted for lifting, also track the annual deadline for its construction equipment VGP. The result is indicative: for a particular configuration, your inspection body makes the final call.
VGP inspection deadline calculator
Intervals from the French orders of 1 March 2004 (lifting equipment, art. 20 and 23) and 5 March 1993 (earthmoving equipment). An excavator fitted for lifting has both deadlines. Special cases: ask your inspection body.
Reading "every 6 months" correctly
The period runs from the date of the last inspection, not the date the report is received. Many companies schedule the inspection a few weeks ahead of the deadline, to keep a margin in case an item needs fixing or the machine is not available on the planned day.
With several machines, the dates drift apart quickly. Grouping the VGP inspections of a single site into one visit simplifies tracking, provided you bring inspections forward rather than delay them.
If you track more than a few machines, Trackary calculates each deadline from the interval you choose and alerts you before the date, without replacing the body that carries out the inspection. Request a demo →