Equipment Compliance Tracking Setup Guide

Step 1 — List what actually needs tracking

Start with anything subject to a statutory, manufacturer or contractual check: lifting equipment, pressure systems, electrical equipment, measuring instruments, vehicles, and anything a client, insurer or quality system asks about.

Worked example: a two-post vehicle lift

1. Who sets the interval. Under LOLER, lifting equipment used to lift people and all lifting accessories default to a thorough examination at least every 6 months, and other lifting equipment at least every 12 months, unless a competent person's examination scheme says otherwise. For vehicle lifts used in repair, HSE recommends examination every 6 months, so this example uses a 6-month next-due date unless the competent person's report or scheme states a different interval.
2. Create the item. Name ("2-post lift — Bay 3"), category ("Lifting equipment"), serial number, site, responsible person and supplier.
3. Record the dates. Issue date, last checked date and a next-due date matching the examination interval.
4. Attach the evidence. The competent person's written report, attached to the item as a document.
5. Set reminders. Choose how far ahead (e.g. 30 and 7 days) and who should be notified.
6. On completion. When the next examination happens, mark the item complete, which logs the result to its service history, and enter the new next-due date — this is a deliberate step, not something the software infers from the report.

Worked example: a torque wrench

Calibration intervals for instruments like torque wrenches are usually set by the manufacturer, a quality system (e.g. ISO 9001) or a customer contract rather than by statute. A typical interval is 12 months. The item record holds the same fields — serial number, location, responsible person, last-checked date, next-due date and the attached certificate — with reminders configured the same way as for the lift. For MOT testing equipment specifically, DVSA sets the intervals: brake testers and headlamp aim testers are checked six-monthly, and gas analysers must be of an approved type checked under DVSA's scheme.

Completion and the next-due date

FileGuard does not move a due date forward automatically when a certificate is uploaded. Completing the work and setting the next date are two explicit actions, both logged — this keeps the record accurate even when a report arrives later than the work itself, or when an item fails and needs a shorter re-check interval.

A reusable field checklist

• Name, category, description, serial number
• Site/location and responsible person
• Supplier
• Issue date, last checked, next due, expiry (where relevant)
• Status (OK, due soon, overdue, pending inspection, missing, not applicable)
• Attached certificate or report
• Reminder settings and recipients

Where to go next

For the tooling side, see equipment register features. For lifting equipment specifically, see LOLER report requirements. Preparing for an audit? Use the audit checklist.