Guide
The construction equipment maintenance obligation in Switzerland
Updated 23.10.2026
Yes, in Switzerland maintaining construction equipment is a legal duty. Article 32b of the Ordinance on the Prevention of Accidents and Occupational Diseases (OPA, VUV in German) requires work equipment to be maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the results to be recorded. The employer is responsible, and maintenance that is not written down is hard to prove.
What does Article 32b OPA say about equipment maintenance?
The OPA (SR 832.30) sets the federal rules for safety at work. Article 32b, in force since 2001, covers “work equipment”, which Article 3 defines as machines, appliances, tools and installations used at work. Excavators, wheel loaders, mini excavators, dumpers and mobile elevating work platforms all fall under it.
Paragraph 1: work equipment must be maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions, taking into account what it is used for and where it works. The results of maintenance must be recorded. Doing the service is not enough: you must be able to show that it was done.
Paragraph 2: equipment exposed to harmful influences such as heat, cold or corrosive gases and substances must be inspected regularly according to a plan set in advance. An inspection is also needed after an exceptional event that could affect its safety. These results are recorded too. A machine that spends the winter outside and works in mud, salt and dust is often in this situation.
The official text is on fedlex.admin.ch. Suva, which supervises accident prevention in high-risk businesses such as construction, publishes checklists and brochures on applying it.
Who is responsible, and what happens after an accident?
The employer. Article 3 OPA requires the employer to take the necessary protective measures and to check at appropriate intervals that they remain effective. The work can be handed to a workshop manager, a mechanic or an outside garage, but the organisation stays with the employer: who does what, when, and where it is recorded. For hired plant, agree in writing with the hire company who handles which maintenance during the hire.
After an accident involving a machine, an investigation looks at what happened. You will usually be asked for the machine’s history: last services, repairs, inspections, reported defects. A complete, dated log answers that quickly and precisely. An empty log, or one filled in after the fact, helps no one.
What follows depends on each case. For a specific question, contact Suva or a legal adviser.
Recording work equipment maintenance: what should you write down?
The ordinance does not prescribe a form. What matters is that an outsider can understand what was done, when and by whom. Keep the manufacturer’s manuals as well: they set the intervals and inspection points.
One simple rule: a written entry never disappears. If it is wrong, it is corrected with the old version still visible, like a paper logbook where you cross out a line rather than tear out the page. For each job, record at least:
- the machine (fleet number, make, model, serial number);
- the date and the hour meter reading;
- the type of work: service, inspection, repair, part replacement;
- what was done and what was found, including defects still open;
- parts and lubricants used, with part numbers;
- who did the work: in-house mechanic, garage or dealer;
- supporting documents: report, invoice, photos, inspection record.
Inspection after each set-up on site and after exceptional events
Article 32a paragraph 3 OPA adds a rule for equipment that moves between sites: it must be inspected after each assembly. The check confirms that it is correctly installed, works properly and can be used as intended. The result must be recorded.
This applies first to anything put up and taken down from one site to the next: cranes, crushing and screening plant, conveyors. For an excavator that arrives on a low loader, a short pre-start check recorded by the operator is still good practice. If in doubt about what is covered, ask Suva.
Exceptional events under Article 32b paragraph 2 include a rollover, an object falling on the cab, a heavy impact or a flood. The machine is then inspected before it goes back to work, and the inspection is recorded.
How to organise maintenance across your plant fleet
Suva recommends starting from a maintenance plan (publication 66121 on planning and monitoring maintenance). Three steps: list all the equipment that can affect safety, keep the operating and maintenance instructions, and write into the plan who is responsible and how often the work is done.
The medium matters less than keeping it up. A binder, a spreadsheet or software all work if they are kept current. Their weak point is well known: on paper or in Excel a due date warns no one and a deleted row leaves no trace. See also our guide to the maintenance log and to service intervals.
For a fleet of construction equipment, you need in practice:
- a list of every machine with its current hour meter reading;
- for each one, the due dates from the manual: services by hours and inspections by date, such as an annual safety inspection;
- a named person in charge for each machine or crew;
- one single place where everything is recorded, reachable from the workshop and from site.
Where Godet helps, and what it does not do
Godet is a digital maintenance log for construction equipment, designed in Valais by a former plant mechanic. Every service, inspection, repair or part is recorded with the date, hour meter reading, author and costs, with photos and documents where needed.
Due dates are set in hours or by date. Each new machine automatically gets a “Service” every 500 h and an “Annual safety inspection”, which you adjust to the manual. A machine turns amber when something is coming due and red when it is overdue, and reminders go out by email.
An entry is never deleted: a withdrawal stays visible, struck through with its reason, and every change is logged. The full log prints as a PDF for an inspection, a survey or a sale. A QR code in the cab lets the operator record a check from a phone, even without signal.
Its limits: Godet does not make your business compliant. It does not set your intervals, and it does not replace the manufacturer’s manual, the mechanic’s judgement or Suva. It keeps a record of what you do. Try the 3D demo without an account or read the help pages before the 15-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions
Is construction equipment maintenance mandatory in Switzerland?
Yes. Article 32b OPA requires work equipment to be maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the results to be recorded. Construction equipment counts as work equipment under the ordinance.
Does the OPA require an annual inspection of plant?
The OPA sets no single frequency. It refers to the manufacturer’s instructions and requires regular inspections to a plan for equipment exposed to harmful influences. An annual safety inspection is common practice. Some equipment, such as lifting appliances, may be subject to specific rules: check with the manufacturer and Suva.
How long should the maintenance log be kept?
Article 32b sets no period. The simplest approach is to keep the history for as long as the machine stays in the business and to hand it to the buyer when you sell.
Is a digital maintenance log acceptable?
The OPA requires a record but does not prescribe a medium. A digital log is suitable if it is complete and dated and an entry cannot vanish without trace. For a specific case, ask Suva.
Who should fill in the log?
Ideally whoever does the work: the mechanic for a service, the operator for a pre-start check, an outside garage through its report. The employer organises it and checks that it is done.