VGP tracking spreadsheet in Excel, free

What the spreadsheet contains

• One row per machine: name or fleet number, equipment type, make and model, serial number, location or site
• The date of the last VGP: this is the only date you need to enter
• The interval (3, 6 or 12 months) found automatically based on the equipment type chosen from the list
• The date of the next VGP and the number of days remaining, calculated automatically
• A status: “Up to date”, “Due soon” (less than 30 days) or “OVERDUE”, with colour coding
• Columns for the inspection body, outstanding reservations and your comments
• A counter at the top: how many machines are overdue, how many are due soon

How to use it in 5 minutes

1. Download the file and open it in Excel, LibreOffice or Google Sheets (File › Import).
2. Delete the three example rows.
3. For each machine, enter its name, choose its type from the list, and give the date of its last VGP.
4. Filter the “Status” column to see what is overdue or due soon.
5. After each inspection, update the date of the last VGP and note any reservations from the report.

Where the intervals come from

The intervals proposed come from the French order of 1 March 2004 on the inspection of lifting equipment and accessories (articles 20 and 23). As a general rule, the periodic general inspection (VGP) takes place every 12 months, and every 6 months for equipment that is frequently moved or that lifts people: aerial work platforms, forklifts, mobile and auxiliary cranes, earthmoving equipment fitted for lifting, tail lifts.

Some equipment or uses have specific rules. If in doubt, your inspection body has the final say: the “Intervals” tab of the file can be edited.

The limits of a spreadsheet

A spreadsheet works well as long as one person keeps it up to date and the fleet stays small. Difficulties arise when several people edit it, when reports and photos need to be attached, or when field mechanics have no access to it.

The spreadsheet also doesn't warn you: you have to open it to see a deadline. This is often where things get missed.

When to move to software

If you manage several dozen machines, several depots or a team of technicians, a CMMS like Trackary takes exactly this information, sends alerts ahead of deadlines, keeps each machine's reports and history, and lets mechanics report an anomaly with a photo, even without a network. Your spreadsheet can serve as the starting point for the import.