PPE Register (Free Excel Template)

A safety register in the context of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) management is an official and mandatory document that records all information related to the PPE used within a company or organization. Its purpose is to ensure the traceability and compliance of PPE to guarantee the safety of users. It is a legally required document in both the workplace and sports environments.

This register is particularly essential for companies using Category 3 PPE (life-threatening risks) or Category 2 PPE (intermediate risks) in Europe and UK. It is also required for regulated work equipment, such as pressure vessels, lifting devices, and similar items. In the US, while the classification system differs, maintaining a PPE and equipment register remains a legal or best-practice requirement for managing high-risk or regulated equipment.

You can also use it to manage your other non-regulated equipment. This will help you better monitor your assets and drastically reduce losses and theft.

The Excel Template

Get our Excel tool for PPE management, designed to ensure the safety and compliance of your personal protective equipment. This comprehensive and easy-to-use tool allows you to track and manage your PPE. Although it is not as automated as dedicated PPE management software, it allows you to perform a large part of the equipment and user training tracking work.

• Management of personal protective equipment and other regulated equipment
• Management of PPE users
• Automatic display of expirations (inspection or expiration)
• Integrated user guide

Current version: 5.0 from May 10, 2025.

Here is a preview of the file. We provide it for free, of course, we understand that not everyone can afford dedicated software for this activity. We recommend the software only if you manage a large number of PPE or have employees who use them.

How the Template Works

The file has three main tabs:

• “Guide” briefly explains how the file works.
• “Equipment Register” to list your PPE.
• “Users” to list those who use your PPE and their training.

Here’s how to use it step by step:

Adding Users

Add the users of your PPE with information on their specific qualifications and certifications.

You can then easily associate each PPE with a user for clear responsibility and improved traceability.

Adding Equipment

Add your PPE with detailed information on the brand, model, serial number, and the current state of each equipment (safe to use, unusable, etc.).

Then enter the verification history : record all checks performed on each PPE , including dates, statuses, and comments.

This Excel file is designed to gather essential information about your personal protective equipment (PPE):

• Brand: the brand of the equipment.
• Model: the model of the equipment.
• Serial Number: the serial number of the equipment.
• Manufacture Date: the date the equipment was manufactured.
• Commissioning Date: the date the equipment was put into service.
• Expiration Date: the date the equipment must be replaced.
• Inspection Date: the date the equipment was last inspected.
• Equipment Condition: the current condition of the equipment (safe to use, unusable, etc.).
• User Name: the name of the equipment user.
• Inspection History: the record of inspections performed on the equipment, including dates, statuses, and comments.

Tool Limitations

This Excel tool has some limitations that we want to make you aware of. They do not prevent perfect PPE management if you are rigorous, but you should be aware of them.

• The tool does not check for potential declaration errors. For example, nothing prevents declaring a manufacturing date later than the commissioning date, which could lead to data inconsistencies.
• Although the table contains the main information, it does not display a unique life sheet linked to a particular piece of equipment. Doing so would require as many tabs as there are pieces of equipment, which is far too time-consuming for Excel management.
• The tool does not have an automatic alert or notification function when equipment becomes unusable. The manager must regularly open the file to check the status of the equipment.
• You cannot perform effective searches, archive photos, manuals, or generate life sheets or compliance reports.
• It is impossible to ensure the traceability of information. For example, anyone with access to your Excel file can modify or delete an equipment’s history.

Again, if you are rigorous and disciplined, you will not have any problems. Otherwise, turn to a PPE management software that will do all of this automatically and collaboratively.

Also, avoid the most common non-compliance during a PPE management audit by sharing the file with your users in read-only mode so they can check their equipment.