PPE inspection records: how to keep them defensible

Updated August 2026 · by Dynamic ID S.r.l.

Almost every company we meet has its PPE in order. What is missing, when an inspection arrives or — worse — after an accident, is the documentary proof that each device was issued to the right person, inspected on the right date and withdrawn when it was no longer fit for use.

This page explains what such a record must contain, who signs it, how often it is updated, and why the shared spreadsheet — still the most common tool by far — holds up only until someone actually tests it.

What the law asks, in short

In Italy the reference is Legislative Decree 81/2008, which implements the European framework on health and safety at work. Article 77 places several duties on the employer which, read together, describe exactly a register:

  • keep PPE efficient and hygienic, through maintenance, repairs and replacement;
  • ensure PPE is used only for its intended purpose, following the manufacturer's information;
  • provide understandable instructions and train workers;
  • guarantee specific hands-on training, which is mandatory for category III PPE and for hearing protection.

The law prescribes no printed form. It prescribes an outcome: being able to demonstrate that all of this was done. That is where the register stops being paperwork and becomes the only concrete defence you have.

Periodic inspections: which PPE, how often

Type of PPEInspectionCarried out by
Fall protection: harnesses, lanyards, retractable devices, lifelines At least every 12 months, and in any case per the manufacturer's instructions A competent person, formally appointed
Helmets, eye protection, gloves, footwear, high-visibility clothing Visual check before use, plus replacement at the manufacturer's expiry The worker, supervised by the site supervisor
Respiratory protection with filters At filter expiry and after any significant use Designated person

For fall protection the technical reference is EN 365, together with the Italian standard UNI 11158, requiring at least an annual examination by a competent person. It is the area where findings are most frequent, because an expired harness looks exactly like a valid one.

The intervals above are those commonly applied in practice. Actual frequencies depend on the manufacturer, on your risk assessment and on the context of use: always confirm them with your safety adviser.

What each line of the record must contain

  • a unique identifier for the individual item, not for the model;
  • make, model, category, technical standard;
  • date of manufacture and date of first use: they differ, and the second one starts the service life;
  • who it is assigned to, with issue date and signed receipt;
  • date of the last inspection, outcome, and who performed it;
  • date of the next inspection;
  • withdrawal from service, with reason and date.

The item almost always missing is the first one. As long as you track the model and not the individual piece, you cannot say which of the forty identical harnesses in the store is the expired one — nor who is wearing it right now.

Why the spreadsheet eventually fails

  • Nobody gets warned. The expiry sits in a cell, and that cell calls no one the day before.
  • Issue is not proven. A line typed afterwards does not prove the worker actually received that device on that day.
  • Data ages on site. Whoever runs the check notes it in a notebook and types it in that evening, or on Monday, or never.
  • It can be edited without a trace. A date corrected afterwards is indistinguishable from one written on the day — and after an accident that undermines the whole record.

How Safety-ID solves it

The idea is simple: the unique identifier does not sit on a paper label, it sits inside the PPE. An NFC or UHF RFID microchip applied to the device makes it readable with a smartphone, including ATEX-certified ones.

  • Issue is recorded by tapping the phone on the PPE and on the worker's badge: date, time and person are certain, not declared;
  • Inspections are recorded on the spot, as you perform them, with the outcome and the inspector;
  • Expiry dates do not wait for someone to open a file: the system warns on six channels — push notification in the app, WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, e-mail and a voice call in the worker's own language;
  • with a control gate at the entrance, UHF RFID antennas read every item of PPE being worn in one pass and signal with coloured lights and an audio message if one is missing or expired;
  • the register is exported when needed, already complete.

The real change is not having the register digital rather than on paper. It is that the data is born at the moment and in the place where the fact happens, instead of being reconstructed later.

Where to start, if today you have a spreadsheet

  1. Begin with category III PPE: fall protection and respiratory. That is where mandatory training and periodic inspection apply.
  2. Tag the items you already own; do not wait for the next purchase.
  3. Align the expiry dates you already know: the bulk of the work is one-off.
  4. Extend to the rest only once the first group runs by itself.

Want to see it on your own case? We will show you what the register would look like with your PPE and your organisation. Half an hour, on a video call or on site.

Request a demonstration

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This page is informative and does not replace the assessment of your safety adviser.