Guide · Occupational safety and health
PPE issue log what to record and what the law requires
In Chile, personal protective equipment (PPE) is issued free, with training and a signature. Here is what Law 16.744, DS 594 and DS 44 require, article by article, plus a handover record with the fields worth logging every time.
Informational guide, not legal advice. Check the current regulation at Ley Chile (Chile's official law library) and consult your safety professional or your mutual insurer (mutualidad).
How it looks today
The storeroom notebook proves nothing
The PPE was handed out, but one line has no name, two have no signature, and none says whether it was a replacement or whether the person knew how to use it. In an inspection, that sheet proves neither the handover nor the training.
What the rules require
What Law 16.744, DS 594 and DS 44 say about PPE
PPE is the last measure under article 9 of DS 44, Chile's Supreme Decree 44: it is issued while a risk remains that could not be eliminated or controlled. And it is issued free, certified and with training.
Law 16.744, art. 68
Requirement
The employer provides the necessary protective equipment and gear and cannot charge workers for it.
DS 594, art. 53
Requirement
PPE free of any cost, suited to the risk, with theoretical and hands-on training in its use, and kept in perfect condition. Workers wear it while exposed.
DS 594, art. 54
Requirement
PPE, whether made in Chile or imported, must meet the quality certification of DS 18 of 1982 from the Chilean Ministry of Health (MINSAL).
DS 44, art. 13
Requirement
PPE only when the risk could not be avoided or controlled by other measures. A procedure for use, maintenance, replacement and change-out, and training of at least one hour, refreshed every year.
SUSESO, Annex No. 62
Requirement
Among the 15 formats the mutual insurer makes available is No. 7: personal protective equipment log and management.
| Regulation | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Law 16.744, art. 68 | The employer provides the necessary protective equipment and gear and cannot charge workers for it. |
| DS 594, art. 53 | PPE free of any cost, suited to the risk, with theoretical and hands-on training in its use, and kept in perfect condition. Workers wear it while exposed. |
| DS 594, art. 54 | PPE, whether made in Chile or imported, must meet the quality certification of DS 18 of 1982 from the Chilean Ministry of Health (MINSAL). |
| DS 44, art. 13 | PPE only when the risk could not be avoided or controlled by other measures. A procedure for use, maintenance, replacement and change-out, and training of at least one hour, refreshed every year. |
| SUSESO, Annex No. 62 | Among the 15 formats the mutual insurer makes available is No. 7: personal protective equipment log and management. |
The record
What to record on every PPE handover
The rules require issuing, training and recording, but do not set the fields of the record. These are the ones that answer what an inspector asks.
Date and time
Why it matters
When it was issued. Keeps replacements in order and shows how often an item wears out.
Recipient
Why it matters
Name, RUT (Chilean tax ID), area and job. The job links the handover to the risk in the matrix.
Item and type
Why it matters
Described by what it protects against: earmuff-type hearing protector, cut-resistant glove, respirator with vapor filter.
Size and quantity
Why it matters
PPE in the wrong size goes unused or is worn wrong.
Reason
Why it matters
New hire, replacement due to wear, loss, damage or a change of type. A change of type requires new training (art. 13).
Certification
Why it matters
What the item states about its certification or its registration with the ISP (Chile's Public Health Institute).
Use training
Why it matters
Date of training on that item: parts, fitting, limits, cleaning, storage and daily check.
Signatures
Why it matters
From the recipient and the issuer. Without a signature, the handover cannot be proven.
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Date and time | When it was issued. Keeps replacements in order and shows how often an item wears out. |
| Recipient | Name, RUT (Chilean tax ID), area and job. The job links the handover to the risk in the matrix. |
| Item and type | Described by what it protects against: earmuff-type hearing protector, cut-resistant glove, respirator with vapor filter. |
| Size and quantity | PPE in the wrong size goes unused or is worn wrong. |
| Reason | New hire, replacement due to wear, loss, damage or a change of type. A change of type requires new training (art. 13). |
| Certification | What the item states about its certification or its registration with the ISP (Chile's Public Health Institute). |
| Use training | Date of training on that item: parts, fitting, limits, cleaning, storage and daily check. |
| Signatures | From the recipient and the issuer. Without a signature, the handover cannot be proven. |
The SUSESO format
The PPE format in Annex No. 62
The SUSESO circular (Chile's social security regulator) requires mutual insurers to offer a record system with 15 formats; No. 7 is the PPE log and management format. The same circular sets rules for all records:
- · What is born digital stays digital.
- · Every document carries an identifier to validate it.
- · Open formats, with no paid software needed to read them.
- · Date, person, legible signature and identification of the signer.
In the app
How the app tracks PPE handovers
Each handover is logged at the storeroom, signed, and included in the monthly PDF with who signed it.
Get early accessFree app, in early access.
Frequently asked questions
PPE issue log FAQ
Must PPE be provided free of charge?
Yes. In Chile, article 68 of Law 16.744 (the occupational accident insurance law) forbids charging workers for it, and article 53 of DS 594 (Chile's decree on basic sanitary and environmental workplace conditions) requires it to be issued free of any cost, whatever the job. Article 13 of DS 44 restates that the employer provides it at its own expense.
What goes in a PPE issue log?
The regulations do not set a format. In practice, record the date, the recipient and their job, the item and type, size, quantity, reason for issue, certification, date of use training, and the signatures of the recipient and the issuer.
How long must PPE training last?
At least one full hour, refreshed every year and whenever someone new joins or the type of PPE changes (art. 13 of DS 44). It must cover parts, fitting, limitations of use, cleaning, storage and the daily check, and it is recorded with activities, attendees, trainers and results.
What certification does PPE need in Chile?
The one required by DS 18 of 1982 from Chile's Ministry of Health, on quality certification of personal protective equipment (art. 54 of DS 594). DS 44 adds that PPE must meet the certification standards in force or be registered with the Instituto de Salud Pública (Chile's Public Health Institute).
Is PPE the first line of defense against a risk?
No, it is the last. Article 9 of DS 44 requires eliminating the risk, controlling it at the source, reducing it with organizational measures and, only while residual risk remains, issuing PPE.
Does the iGromi app track PPE handovers?
Yes. The handover is logged from a phone with name, time and photo, signed, and the PDF for the period comes with a verification code. The app is free and in early access.
Sources: Law 16.744 (BCN) · DS 594 (BCN) · DS 44 (BCN) · SUSESO circular, Annex No. 62. Reviewed on November 1, 2026.
Keep reading
Occupational health and safety guides
DS 44: the records it requiresThe hub: every preventive-management record, with its article.DS 594 summarizedWorkplace sanitary and environmental conditions, title by title, with their limits.Joint safety committeeDuties, election, job protection and the safety delegate.Risk matrixHow a risk is assessed, with worked plant examples.5-minute safety talksReady-made topics by hazard, plus the attendance record.IRL under DS 44What the occupational risk information must say and when it is delivered.Risk mapWhat the DS 44 risk map includes, with a plant example.Internal safety regulationsWhat the health and safety regulations contain and how they are published.Cause tree analysisAccident investigation step by step, with a worked example.Accident rate calculatorAccident, lost-day, frequency and severity rates with their formulas.TMERT protocolChecklist, risk levels and deadlines of the MINSAL musculoskeletal protocol.Safe work procedureWhat an SWP is, its sections and a food-plant example.IPER risk matrix step by stepThe matrix shows which risk is left for PPE.
Every shift without a record is data you lose. Start free.
- 1Request early access, free
- 2Pick your trade: maintenance, production or safety
- 3Your team starts with the chat and its trade helper
No credit card. Your data stays yours.
PLANT · SHIFT B
Tasks
Luis · maintenance
OVERDUE
Sugar silo 1
No signal since 05:40
Sensor · supplyTODAY
M-204 vibration
4.1 mm/s, above normal
Detected by the sensorPROPOSED
Check the capper
14 badly seated lids since 08:30
AcceptDismiss
HomeTasksChatMore