diff --git a/utils/equipment.js b/utils/equipment.js
index e5d0398..0ead667 100644
--- a/utils/equipment.js
+++ b/utils/equipment.js
@@ -3,17 +3,30 @@ console.log('Load equipment modules');
 
 class Equipment {
     constructor(equipmentItem) {
-        console.info(`Initialization of eqipment ${equipmentItem.name} with type ${this.constructor.name}`);
 
-        // Set equipmentItem
-        this.equipmentItem = equipmentItem;
+        // Fetch item if provided equipmentItem is a string
+        if (typeof equipmentItem === 'string' || equipmentItem instanceof String) {
+            this.equipmentItem = items[equipmentItem];
+        } else {
+            this.equipmentItem = equipmentItem;
+        }
+
+        // Throw error if item is not existing
+        if (this.equipmentItem === null) {
+            throw(`Item ${equipmentItem} not existing`);
+        }
+
+        // Throw error if item is not an equipment type
+        if (this.equipmentItem.semantics.semanticType != 'Equipment') {
+            throw(`Item ${this.equipmentItem.name} is not an equipment type`);            
+        }
+
+        console.info(`Initialization of equipment ${this.equipmentItem.name} with type ${this.constructor.name}`);
 
         // Initialization of properties
         this.name = this.equipmentItem.name;
-        this.watch = new Object();
-
-        // Set stateItem, toDo: error when no stateItem existing
         this.stateItem = items[this.getPropertyItemName('State')];
+        this.watch = new Object();
 
         // Check if equipment has LowBat item
         if (this.hasProperty('LowBat')) {