Completing a schakelbrief — a fully worked example

The schakelbrief (switching order / permit record) is the written record of a switching action that NEN 3140 §6.3.5 makes mandatory: what is done, by whom, with which tools, and who checks it. Most candidates know the theory of the five steps well (see de-energized working) — where it goes wrong is the moment those same five steps have to be put on paper in your own words, in the right order, with the right tools per step and a justification for every deviation. This page shows two fully completed schakelbriefs for the same, realistic scenario: relocating an oven with its own work switch, fed from a final circuit with fuse links behind a load-break switch.

What must be included in a schakelbrief

Element	Content
Location	The installation and the exact final circuit/connection point where the action takes place
Date	Date of execution
Description	One or two sentences: what is happening and why (e.g. "de-energising in connection with relocation by an external contractor")
Step table	Columns Step / Actions / Remark or tools / Done — each step signed off separately, not all at once afterwards
Name of person(s) carrying out the work	Name + role (VP) + signature
Checked by the work-responsible person (WV)	Name, initials, date — without this check, the schakelbrief is not valid

A schakelbrief should have two sides: one for de-energising, one for re-commissioning. Anyone who only fills in the first side usually forgets precisely the steps that matter most on exam day: the measurement afterwards and the release.

Example 1 — Schakelbrief for "de-energising and securing"

Scenario: an oven with its own work switch (63 A) is fed from final circuit K6 of an industrial distribution board: three 35 A fuse links (L1/L2/L3) behind a 160 A load-break switch. The oven must be disconnected and relocated by an external contractor.

Step	Actions	Remark / tools
1	Receive the instruction from the WV; inform the IV. Carry out the LMRA. Consult the installation diagram: oven = final circuit K6.	Installation diagram, schakelbrief, PPE (safety shoes, work clothing, safety glasses, insulating gloves)
2	Inform users. Take the oven out of operation via the controls; check that no load remains.	Never disconnect under load
3	Switch off the work switch at the oven (position 0) and lock it out with a padlock; attach a warning label.	Padlock + label "Do not switch on — work in progress"
4	Disconnect: switch off the load-break switch of final circuit K6 (160 A) in the distribution board.	Procedure step 1 — check the correct circuit against the coding and diagram
5	Isolate: remove the three 35 A fuse links (L1, L2, L3) of final circuit K6.	Fuse-puller/NH grip, face shield, insulating gloves — arc-flash risk
6	Secure against re-energization: 3× dummy fuse-links in the fuse-carriers; lock out the load-break switch with a padlock; warning sign on the distribution board.	Procedure step 2 — dummies, padlock, warning sign
7	Check the voltage tester on a known live source (test before the measurement).	duspol (min. CAT III 400 V) — procedure step 3: test–measure–test
8	Prove absence of voltage at the oven's connection terminals: L1–L2, L2–L3, L3–L1, L1–N, L2–N, L3–N, L1–PE, L2–PE, L3–PE, N–PE.	Measure all 10 combinations, even if there is no N present in a 3-phase connection without a neutral
9	Check the voltage tester again on a known voltage (test after the measurement).	duspol
10	Earth and short-circuit: attach the earthing set on the oven side to L1, L2, L3 (and N); first the earth clip to PE, then the phase clips.	Record the reason: long supply cable, work by an external contractor, risk of unintended backfeed
11	Shield adjacent live parts (other circuits/cables that remain live); cordon off and mark the work area.	Procedure step 5 — insulating material, shielding plates, barrier tape
12	Release: report to the WV that the installation is de-energised and secured; sign off the schakelbrief; hand over to the external contractor.	Re-energising only in accordance with the "re-commissioning" schakelbrief

Example 2 — Schakelbrief for "re-commissioning"

Scenario: the oven has been relocated and has a new supply cable. Before the oven is reconnected, the new cable must be inspected and tested (insulation resistance, PE conductor resistance, voltage, phase rotation), and the oven may only be put back into operation after approval from the WV.

Step	Actions	Remark / tools
1	Receive the completion report from the external contractor; consult with the WV. Visual inspection: cable undamaged, cable glands closed, connections secure, conductor colours correct, cross-section matches the diagram.	Installation diagram, checklist
2	Check that the installation is still de-energised and secured: dummies, padlocks, sign and earthing set present.	Consult the previous schakelbrief
3	Remove the earthing set (phase clips first, earth clip last). Disconnect sensitive electronics for the insulation measurement.	Note: 500 V DC damages electronics
4	Measure the PE conductor resistance: PE rail in the distribution board ↔ PE terminal/enclosure of the oven; record the value.	Low-resistance ohmmeter (≥ 200 mA); requirement: low resistance, guideline value ≤ 0.3 Ω (+ 0.1 Ω per 7.5 m of cable)
5	Measure the insulation resistance at 500 V DC across all combinations (L-L, L-N, L-PE, N-PE); record the values in the measurement table.	Insulation resistance tester 500 V DC; requirement ≥ 1.0 MΩ (NEN 1010); discharge the cable after the measurement
6	Assess the measurement results and discuss with the WV. If rejected: do not switch on, trace the cause.	Measurement table fully completed, conclusion OK/not OK
7	Prepare the work area: remove tools and test leads, take down shielding, reconnect the electronics, everyone out of the danger zone.	—
8	Remove the safety measures: take off the warning sign and padlock from the load-break switch; remove the dummies, put the fuse links back in place.	Fuse-puller/NH grip, face shield, insulating gloves
9	Switch on the load-break switch of final circuit K6. Check that no protective device trips.	Permission from the WV before switching on
10	Check the voltage and phase rotation at the supply terminals (before the work switch).	duspol, phase-rotation meter/installation tester; if the phase rotation is counterclockwise: swap two phases, only while de-energised
11	Remove the padlock and label from the work switch; switch on the work switch. Carry out a function test.	Controls, external contractor/user present
12	Report completion to the WV and IV; sign the schakelbrief and measurement table; release the installation for use; end the temporary appointment if applicable.	Schakelbrief, measurement table

Appendix — insulation resistance and PE resistance measurement table

Measurement	Requirement	Conclusion
L1–L2, L2–L3, L3–L1	≥ 1.0 MΩ at 500 V DC	OK / not OK
L1–N, L2–N, L3–N	≥ 1.0 MΩ at 500 V DC	OK / not OK
L1–PE, L2–PE, L3–PE, N–PE	≥ 1.0 MΩ at 500 V DC	OK / not OK
PE conductor resistance	Low resistance, guideline value ≤ 0.3 Ω	OK / not OK
Phase rotation	Clockwise (L1–L2–L3)	OK / counterclockwise → swap two phases

Always also record the type/serial number of the measuring instrument used and the test voltage/current applied — on the exam, and in an actual NEN 3140 report, a measured value without the instrument is not a valid measurement.

Appendix — LMRA / risk inventory

Risk	Measure / PPE
Electric shock from touching live parts	Five-step procedure; duspol test–measure–test; insulated tools; safety glasses, insulating gloves
Arc flash when removing/inserting fuse links	Only switch while unloaded; fuse-puller/NH grip; face shield
Unintended switching-on by third parties	Dummies, padlock, warning sign/label; key kept under own control
Backfeed/induced voltage on a long cable	Earth and short-circuit with the earthing set
Incorrect phase rotation after connecting the new cable	Measure phase rotation before the function test; if counterclockwise, swap two phases while de-energised
Damaged insulation or interrupted PE in the new cable	Measure insulation resistance and PE resistance before switching on

Common mistakes when completing a schakelbrief

Writing "N/A" without a reason. A skipped step (for example earthing and short-circuiting for a final circuit without backfeed risk) must always have a written justification, not just a ticked box.
Recording test–measure–test as a single step. Checking the voltage tester before and after the measurement are two separate moments, each signed off individually — not one line saying "duspol used".
Not recording instrument data. The type and serial number of the insulation resistance tester/low-resistance ohmmeter and the test voltage used belong in the measurement table, not just the outcome.
Reversing the sequence when earthing and short-circuiting. Connecting: first the earth clip, then the phase clips. Removing: first the phase clips, the earth clip last. If reversed, the technician themselves is at risk in the event of an induced voltage.
Filling in the schakelbrief all at once, afterwards. Each step is signed off at the moment it is carried out — a schakelbrief that is only filled in all at once after the fact is no longer a reliable record.
Forgetting that the WV must sign both before the work starts and afterwards. Without the WV's signature beforehand there is no valid release; without the signature afterwards there is no valid completion report.

Exam tip

On the practical exam you are often asked to (partly) draw up or complete a schakelbrief yourself for a given task. Use the fixed structure — location, description, steps with tools, sign-off — as a mental checklist, and say each step out loud as you write it down. Anyone who names the steps in the order of the five steps (see de-energized working) rarely forgets a step on paper.