[Quick Guide] The easiest way to track and inspect your gear in one place

If your team works in a high-risk environment - rope access, treecare, construction, mining, utilities, or emergency response - keeping track of safety equipment is more than just admin. It’s a matter of compliance and, ultimately, safety.

Yet many teams still rely on spreadsheets, paper checklists, or outdated tools to manage thousands of pieces of PPE and safety gear. The result? Wasted time, missing equipment and inspection records that are hard to find when an auditor comes knocking.

That’s why more safety managers are turning to digital inventory tracking and asset inspection software.

Why gear tracking matters more in safety-critical teams

Unlike retail stock or IT assets, PPE and safety equipment come with strict inspection and compliance requirements:

• Harnesses and helmets must be inspected regularly
• Ropes and lifting gear must comply with regulations like LOLER or OSHA
• PPE inspections must be logged and stored for audits
• Gear must be traceable across teams and job sites

If you’re only tracking stock levels, a generic inventory management system may be enough. But if you need to prove inspections and compliance, you need a purpose-built inventory tracking platform.

For a comprehensive guide on inventory management, check out our blog "Inventory Management Software & Tracking Systems: Everything You Need to Know".

The problem with spreadsheets and manual systems

Many safety teams try to manage gear with spreadsheets, shared drives, or paper records. Here’s why that breaks down fast:

• No audit trails: Records are easily lost, overwritten, or inconsistent
• Too much manual data entry: Typing serial numbers takes hours
• Missed inspections: No automated reminders or compliance workflows
• Limited visibility: Hard to see where gear is, who it’s assigned to, or when it was last inspected
  
  

In short: it is difficult to keep track of equipment’s inspection status manually.

What digital inventory tracking looks like

Modern inventory tracking software solves these problems by putting all your gear records, inspections, and compliance data in one place. The right system should let you:

• Scan equipment easily - barcode, NFC, or UHF RFID audit tools (without expensive scanning guns)
• Store inspection reports digitally - with instant access for audits
• Run compliance checklists - standardized inspections, every time
• Automate workflows - reminders for inspections and approvals
• Create secure audit trails - so you’re always audit-ready

The Scannable difference

Scannable is the only inventory tracking and inspection system designed specifically for teams working in high-risk environments and requiring their safety equipment comply with very specific regulations. With Scannable, you can:

• Scan any brand of safety equipment using just your phone
• Build complete digital inventories in minutes
• Allocate gear to teams, sites, or individuals
• Run compliance checklists and workflows
• Automatically generate inspection records and audit trails
• Access your gear records anywhere with a secure, online system

With the world’s largest safety gear database (60,000+ items preloaded), and compatibility with Smart PPE™ from 50+ manufacturers, Scannable is the fastest and easiest way to track and inspect your equipment in one place.

Final thoughts

Managing safety gear doesn’t have to mean drowning in spreadsheets or scrambling during audits. By moving to a purpose-built digital inventory management system, you get:

• Fewer lost items
• Less admin time
• Stronger compliance
• Safer teams

Scannable makes it simple: scan, track, inspect, and report - all in one place.

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