What to record, and a free way to keep it with reminders.
A kit register is the record that proves your lifting equipment is in date and safe. Every harness, rope, connector and descender, with its serial number and inspection dates, in one place you can show a client or an auditor. You can keep it in a spreadsheet, and plenty of techs do, but the one thing a spreadsheet will not do is warn you before a six-monthly exam lapses. This page covers what a good register holds, and a free way to keep it.
Whatever you keep it in, a register earns its keep when each item carries this:
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Item and description | Know exactly which piece it is |
| Serial number | Ties the record to the physical item on site |
| First use date | Starts the lifespan clock |
| Last thorough examination | Your LOLER proof |
| Next exam due | The date that keeps you legal |
| Pre-use checks | Day-to-day evidence it was checked |
| Status | In date, due soon, or retired |
Get those right and you can answer the only question that matters on site, is this item safe and in date, in seconds. For the rules behind it, see LOLER vs PUWER, and for a deeper how-to, building a kit register.
A spreadsheet template is free and works, if you remember to open it and check the dates. The catch is that nothing reminds you, so the register is only as reliable as your memory the week a thorough examination falls due. Cowstail keeps the same register on your phone and reminds you 30 and 7 days before each exam, so a lapse cannot creep up on you between jobs. The Solo plan is free, so you get the reminders without paying for them.
A record of every piece of your lifting equipment and its inspection dates, so you can prove each item is in date and safe to use. It is the backbone of staying LOLER compliant.
Each item and its description, the serial number, first use date, the last thorough examination, the next exam due date, pre-use checks and a simple status such as in date, due soon or retired.
Yes. The Solo plan is free for individual rope access technicians, and it includes the kit register with reminders before each six-monthly exam is due.
No. The register tracks your thorough examinations and pre-use checks, but the six-monthly LOLER exam by a competent person still has to happen. The register just makes sure you never miss one.
Related: Kit & LOLER tracking, LOLER vs PUWER, kit register guide, audit-ready records.