Periodic inspection and maintenance records: why quality at Luibl Rental saves time

Anyone renting construction machinery is essentially buying one thing: operational reliability. A machine that stands on site but is not ready for use causes costs that exceed the rental price several times over. The periodic inspection is more than a bureaucratic obligation – it is documented proof that a machine is technically sound before the first operator gets in.

For Luibl Rental, complete inspection and maintenance documentation is not an extra service but a basic requirement for every machine handover. This article explains what that means in concrete terms – for the legal certainty of the renting company and for project logistics on site.

Legal basis: what applies to which machines?

For aerial work platforms, the ARAB/RGPT (Art. 280 and 281) and the Code on Well-being at Work, Book IV (work equipment) form the basis for periodic inspection by an external technical inspection body (EDTC/SECT): inspection before commissioning, then a full examination at least every 12 months and a check of the safety-relevant parts at least every 3 months. Every inspection results in a report that stays with the user.

For telehandlers and forklifts, Book IV of the Code on Well-being at Work also applies, along with – specifically for telehandlers – FEM 4.004, the technical guideline for manufacturers and operators of telehandlers. Among other things, it covers the checking of load management systems and stability verification.

The Act of 4 August 1996 on well-being at work and the Code on Well-being at Work, Book IV form the framework: work equipment with particular hazards undergoes periodic inspection by an EDTC/SECT, in line with applicable Belgian safety rules – and an inspection is also advisable after every major repair or modification to the machine.

What is actually checked during the inspection

The periodic inspection of aerial work platforms includes, among other things:

• Load-bearing structure and welds for cracks, deformation and corrosion

• Hydraulic system: lines, cylinders, valves, leak test under load

• Emergency lowering and emergency stop functions – operation of all safety circuits

• Tilt sensor and overload cut-out system (load moment limiter)

• Control units in the basket and at the base: priority logic, emergency operation

• Tyres, chassis, drive and braking system

• Check of all labels, warning and information signs

• Completeness of the operating manuals and load charts on the machine

For telehandlers, the FEM 4.004 inspection adds specific checks of the telescopic boom system, the attachment interfaces and the dynamic load management system. On roto models with slewing outriggers, outrigger force measurement and load chart synchronisation are checked separately.

Inspection certificate and logbook: documents with legal consequences

Every machine in the Luibl Rental fleet carries a valid inspection certificate on delivery and comes with the corresponding inspection report. The machine logbook is kept on the machine – not in the office.

This is not a detail. During spot checks by the Well-being at Work Inspectorate (FPS Employment), inspection records must be available immediately at the place of use. If documents are missing, the machine may be regarded as not demonstrably inspected – regardless of whether the inspection actually took place.

Maintenance ≠ periodic inspection

The periodic inspection establishes whether a machine is safe at the time of inspection. Maintenance, on the other hand, is the active process that ensures a machine remains reliable between inspections. The two are independent of each other – and both are an integral part of fleet management at Luibl Rental.

Specific maintenance scope in the rental fleet

Maintenance intervals are based on manufacturer specifications and are adjusted according to operating hours and conditions of use:

• Hydraulic oil: changed according to the manufacturer's specification, not on a fixed calendar basis – shorter with intensive high-load use or extreme temperatures

• Scissors and lifting linkage on scissor lifts: chain check for elongation (stretch), inspection of pivot pins and bearing bushes for wear

• Tyres and track drives: tread depth, tyre pressure on solid-tyre machines (check for crack patterns), track tension and roller wear on spider lifts

• Electric drive systems on electric platforms: battery condition, charging curves, insulation resistance of control lines

• Attachments on telehandlers: fork tines for bending and cracking, hydraulic hoses of quick couplers

At Luibl Rental, wear parts are replaced proactively – not only when a defect occurs. This avoids the worst case: a machine at a standstill on a site, for which a replacement has to be organised at short notice.

Long-term rental: periodic inspection as part of the contract

For rental contracts of several months, periodic inspection is included – at no extra cost and with no organisational effort for the renter. Luibl Rental coordinates the inspection date, the inspection body (EDTC/SECT) and the documentation. The renter receives the updated inspection report; the machine stays in operation.

A plant engineering company rents a fleet of four roto telehandlers and two diesel scissor lifts from Luibl Rental for a six-month overhaul at a chemical plant. The plant site is subject to the safety standards of a tier-1 industrial customer: all rental machines must be ready for use every day, and proof of every maintenance job must be available within 30 minutes at the request of site security.

The challenge: conventional rental contracts pass the documentation obligation to the renter. That means collecting maintenance records yourself, monitoring inspection intervals yourself and proving them manually during checks.

The solution with Luibl Rental: all six machines are handed over with a complete inspection and maintenance history – physically on the machine and available digitally on request. Luibl Rental coordinates the on-site maintenance service based on operating hours, not the calendar. After three months, a mobile technician carries out the scheduled hydraulic oil change and chain inspection without interrupting the overhaul work.

During a spot check by the competent inspection service, all inspection records for the fleet can be presented immediately. Result: no site shutdown, no objections, no production interruption.

Machine-side safety: what Luibl Rental provides

Every machine delivered by Luibl Rental has a valid inspection certificate and all safety-relevant devices in working order. These include:

• Anchor points in the basket (checked and certified to manufacturer specifications)

• Complete emergency lowering and emergency stop functions

• Current load chart and operating manual on the machine

• All warning and information signs legible and complete

Personal safety: the user's responsibility

Safety harnesses and fall protection PPE (personal protective equipment against falls) are not included in the rental by Luibl Rental – they are the user's responsibility. This is not a lack of service but a matter of principle: personal protective equipment must be fitted to the individual's body size, checked regularly and familiar to the wearer. A harness supplied by the rental company cannot reliably meet any of these conditions.

Anyone using telescopic boom lifts, articulating boom lifts or truck-mounted platforms must provide each operator with inspected fall protection PPE to EN 361 with an energy absorber (EN 355) or a self-locking fall arrester. On handover of the machine, Luibl Rental actively points out this obligation – especially if no information on existing PPE was given when ordering.

For scissor lifts, fall protection PPE is not required in every case; this depends on applicable Belgian safety rules. The user determines in their risk assessment whether the working situation (e.g. work over water, wind load, increased tipping risk) requires a different arrangement.

Anyone renting electric aerial work platforms deals with two independent inspection obligations: the mechanical periodic inspection by an EDTC/SECT and the electrical inspection in line with applicable Belgian rules.

In everyday rental practice, the two are regularly confused or combined. Each must be documented separately, and both records must be available during checks.

What the electrical inspection requires

The electrical inspection covers portable and fixed electrical equipment. Electric aerial work platforms fall within this scope as portable equipment. Checks include:

• Visual inspection: housing, cable condition, plugs, charging socket for mechanical damage

• Protective conductor test: resistance between the protective conductor and accessible conductive parts

• Insulation resistance measurement: between conductors and protective conductor under test voltage

• Functional test: charging electronics, control circuits, emergency stop relay, drive enable

• Measurement of protective conductor current or equivalent leakage current depending on the type of machine

The inspection interval depends on the conditions of use and is determined in line with applicable Belgian rules. On construction sites, outdoors or with exposure to moisture, a shorter cycle is advisable. The user sets the interval in their risk assessment.

Who is authorised to inspect?

The electrical inspection may only be carried out by a qualified electrical specialist or under their direction and supervision. An inspector for the mechanical periodic inspection is not automatically qualified for this – both qualifications must be demonstrated separately.

Relevance in halls and sensitive environments

Electric scissor lifts are preferably used in logistics centres, pharmaceutical and food production and data centres. That is precisely where electrical inspection records are particularly critical: operating permits for these building types regularly require complete documentation of all electrical equipment used.

Before using a machine in such environments, you should explicitly ask whether the current electrical inspection record for the rental machine is available. Luibl Rental provides this record on request.

The equation is simple: a machine without a valid periodic inspection must not be operated. Anyone using a machine that is not demonstrably inspected risks fines, a ban on use and, in the event of damage, the loss of insurance cover.

Luibl Rental does not solve this risk with promises but with documentation. Every rental machine is handed over with complete inspection records. Maintenance intervals are actively managed. For long-term rental contracts, periodic inspection is contractually included.

For projects with high safety requirements – plant sites, large construction sites, industrial overhauls – this is not an optional extra but the entry requirement.

The Luibl Rental team answers questions about inspection documentation, maintenance intervals for specific machines or long-term rental terms during service hours, Mon–Fri, 08:00–17:00.

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Who is responsible for the periodic inspection of a rental machine – rental company or renter?

As owner of the machine, Luibl Rental is responsible for carrying out and documenting the periodic inspection by an EDTC/SECT. The renter, as user, may only use the machine with valid inspection records and must keep the documentation available on site.

How often must an aerial work platform be inspected?

Periodically, by an external technical inspection body (EDTC/SECT), in line with applicable Belgian safety rules. In addition, an inspection is advisable after every major repair, after an accident causing damage to the machine and when returning it to service after a longer period of inactivity.

Which documents must I be able to present during a site check?

The report of the last periodic inspection, the machine logbook and the manufacturer's operating manual. All documents must be available on the machine and not just in the office.

Is maintenance included in the rental at Luibl Rental?

For short-term rentals, every machine is maintained and handed over with valid inspection records. For long-term rentals, periodic inspection is included; maintenance based on operating hours can be agreed individually.

What happens if a defect occurs during the rental?

Luibl Rental provides a mobile technician on site on request. If the defect cannot be fixed quickly, a replacement machine is delivered promptly to keep downtime to a minimum.

Does an electric aerial work platform need an electrical inspection in addition to the periodic inspection?

Yes. The mechanical periodic inspection by an EDTC/SECT and the electrical inspection in line with applicable Belgian rules are two separate inspection obligations with separate reports. Both must be available for presentation during checks. The electrical inspection record is available from Luibl Rental on request.