Templates and records · ISO 45001 · Clause 8.1.2

PPE issue record for ISO 45001

PPE is the last barrier in the hierarchy of controls, and its record shows that every worker has the right equipment, knows how to use it and gets a new one when it wears out or expires.

In one sentence

The PPE issue record sets out which personal protective equipment each worker receives, for which risk, with what certification, when, with what instructions and when it must be replaced; ISO 45001 does not require it as a document, but it is the usual evidence that PPE is applied as the last level of the hierarchy of controls (8.1.2) and that Spanish RD 773/1997 is met, which requires PPE to be supplied free of charge and replaced whenever necessary.

Content reviewed on 17 October 2026

Where the standard requires it: ISO 45001 · Clause 8.1.2 Clauses are cited using the numbering of ISO 45001:2018, the current edition, which includes the 2024 amendment on climate change.
Type of information: Good practice ISO 45001 does not ask for an issue record; it is the usual evidence for RD 773/1997
Who fills it in: Line manager or stores The health and safety practitioner decides which PPE each role needs; the worker signs or acknowledges receipt
When: At every issue or replacement On joining, on changing role, when the equipment deteriorates and before it expires
How long it is kept: Set by the organisation ISO 45001 sets no retention periods (7.5.3). Spanish Law 31/1995 also requires prevention documentation to be kept available to the labour authority (art. 23), so it is wise not to destroy anything while the role or risk it refers to still exists.

What the standard requires

What ISO 45001 demands and what it leaves to your judgement

ISO 45001 places personal protective equipment on the bottom rung of the hierarchy of controls (8.1.2): it is used when the hazard could not be eliminated or sufficiently reduced by collective measures. The standard does not ask for an issue record.

The obligation comes from RD 773/1997: the employer determines which roles need PPE, chooses suitable certified equipment, supplies it free of charge, replaces it when necessary, ensures it is used and provides information and training on how to use it. None of those duties can be demonstrated without leaving a trail of each issue.

In practice, the record is the first thing a labour inspector asks for after an accident in which PPE played a part.

Read it in context: Support, in the ISO 45001 Academy

Structure

Fields the template should include

Worker and role
Risk it protects against, according to the role assessment
Item, make, model and size
CE marking, category and harmonised standard it meets
Date of issue and quantity
Instructions for use and maintenance provided
Service life or expiry date and next replacement
Reason for issue: new starter, replacement for wear, loss, expiry
Worker’s signature or acknowledgement

Example

Example: items issued to a cutting operator

Company, people and figures are fictitious: the example only shows what a properly completed record looks like.

Field	Content
Worker	Fictitious worker TR-0107 · cutting operator
Hearing protection	Ear defenders SNR 30 dB · EN 352-1 · 10 January 2026 · on joining the role
Gloves	Mechanical protection gloves · EN 388 · 4 pairs · 10 January · replaced monthly
Footwear	S3 safety footwear · size 43 · EN ISO 20345 · replaced annually or when worn
Eye protection	Universal frame safety spectacles · EN 166 · replaced when scratched
Instructions	Manufacturer’s leaflet and a hands-on demonstration of fitting the ear defenders
Replacement	Gloves: 10 February, 10 March · ear defenders: cushion check in July
Acknowledgement	Signed by the worker at each issue

At the audit

Mistakes auditors commonly flag

A single initial issue record and no replacements for years.
PPE without marking or certification, bought on price.
The PPE issued does not match what the role’s risk assessment calls for.
There is no record that the use of complex equipment, such as harnesses or breathing apparatus, was explained.
PPE is used as the only measure without any attempt at collective protection.

In Kimobox

How this record is kept in Kimobox

1Each PPE issue is recorded on the employee’s file in the employee portal, with the worker’s acknowledgement.
2Each item carries its expiry date, and the system warns you before it lapses.
3The PPE required comes from the risk assessment of the role linked to the worker.
4Any worker’s issue history is one click away if an inspection comes round.

Frequently asked questions

What people ask us before getting started

Must the worker sign for the equipment?

RD 773/1997 does not require a particular signature, but it does require the employer to supply the equipment and ensure it is used. Without a signature or acknowledgement it is very hard to prove that before the Labour Inspectorate or a court.

Who decides which PPE each role needs?

It comes from the risk assessment, which identifies the risks that could not be avoided through collective measures and the equipment required. The choice should be made in consultation with the workers.

What does PPE expiry mean?

The service life stated by the manufacturer in the information leaflet, or the one that results from use and wear. Helmets, harnesses and respirator filters have specific periods that are best tracked with an alert.

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Sources

Where each figure comes from

References to the official text in force. If a standard is revised, this page is updated and the review date says so.

Royal Decree 773/1997 of 30 May on the use of personal protective equipment by workers BOE-A-1997-12735 · BOE No. 140, 12 June 1997
ISO 45001:2018 — Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements with guidance for use ISO · 2018 ed., with Amd 1:2024
Ley 31/1995 of 8 November on the prevention of occupational risks BOE-A-1995-24292 · Consolidated text