A method of organizing personal protective equipment (PPE) testing/inspection records comprising: securely fastening transponders having a read/write capability on items of PPE that require periodic testing/inspections; providing at least one scanner that can activate the transponders and read, record, and process information received from the activated transponders, and electronically write information on the activated transponders; providing a computerized database for storing and organizing information from installed transponders; providing a computerized interface program that interfaces with the scanner and the computerized database; using at least one scanner to write in a read-only format appropriate initial information on installed transponders which identifies each item of PPE and to write inspection information in a read/write format on installed transponders; and using the computerized interface program to initialize the computerized database with initial information from installed transponders with information as written and read by the scanner.