Accredited inspection body (OCA)

What it is exactly

Ley 21/1992, the Spanish Industry Act, defines inspection bodies as those who, with the technical resources, impartiality and independence required, “can verify compliance with the safety conditions and requirements” of the industrial safety regulations (art. 15.1). First, the national accreditation body —in Spain, ENAC, designated by Royal Decree 1715/2010— checks their technical competence; then the body files a self-declaration with the industry authority and is entitled to work anywhere in Spain (art. 15.2 and 15.4).

For a business with premises, the OCA appears in the inspections that each regulation assigns to it:

• Low voltage. Premises open to the public —a bar counts, whatever its size— and the others on the list in the REBT, the Spanish low-voltage regulation: an initial inspection and another every five years (ITC-BT-05). See the low-voltage inspection.
• Lifts. Every two, four or six years depending on the building; the holder books it, never the lift maintenance company (ITC AEM 1, arts. 4.5 and 11.4). See lift inspection.
• Fire protection. At least every ten years, at the holder's request and with exemptions by use and floor area (RIPCI, the Spanish fire protection installations regulation, art. 22). See fire protection.
• Industrial units. At least every five years (RD 164/2025, art. 13).

An example: a 60 m² café that opened in 2019 passed the initial inspection of its electrical installation before being connected to the supply; the periodic one fell due in 2024 and the next will be in 2029. The inspector checks the distribution board, takes measurements and issues a certificate with the defects and a rating: favourable, conditional (six months at most to put things right) or unfavourable.