This is a ready-to-use equipment logbook. It is the contemporaneous record that ties every use of a piece of GxP equipment to a person, a time, a status, and the batch or test it supported, and it is one of the first records an inspector reads because it shows whether the equipment was in a qualified, calibrated, clean state when it produced data. Replace every <<FILL: ...>> placeholder, set your document number, and control it as a bound or paginated GxP record (or configure the equivalent electronic log). A filled sample page follows.
Document control header
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Logbook title | Equipment Use, Cleaning, and Status Logbook |
| Logbook / document number | <<FILL: LOG-ID, e.g. LOG-EQ-HPLC07-01>> |
| Equipment name and ID | <<FILL: NAME / ASSET ID>> |
| Location | <<FILL: room / area>> |
| Owner | <<FILL: department / role>> |
| Governing SOP | <<FILL: SOP-ID for logbook use>> |
| Retention | <<FILL: retention period per schedule>> |
How to use this logbook
- Complete an entry at the time of the activity (contemporaneous), never afterward from memory.
- Use only your own initials or signature; each user must be on the signature and initials register.
- Make single-line corrections: strike through once so the original stays legible, write the correct value, initial and date, and add a brief reason. Never obliterate, overwrite, or use correction fluid.
- Confirm status before use: the equipment must be within calibration and PM, in a qualified state, and clean/ready. If any status is not current, do not use it; quarantine it and raise a deviation.
- Do not leave blank lines between entries. Mark any genuinely unused field “N/A”.
- One logbook per equipment item (or a controlled electronic equivalent with the same fields and the same audit trail).
Field definitions
| Field | Format | Required | Who enters | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry no. | Sequential integer | Yes | User | At each activity |
| Date | DD-MMM-YYYY | Yes | User | At the activity |
| Start / end time | HH:MM (state time zone or use controlled system time) | Yes | User | At start and end of use |
| Activity | Use / cleaning / maintenance / calibration / idle-check | Yes | User | At the activity |
| Batch / test / study reference | Free text ID | Yes for use entries; N/A otherwise | User | At the activity |
| Material or method | Product, sample set, or method run | Yes for use entries | User | At the activity |
| Calibration status confirmed current | Yes / No (due date) | Yes | User | Before use |
| PM status confirmed current | Yes / No (due date) | Yes | User | Before use |
| Qualified state confirmed | Yes / No | Yes | User | Before use |
| Cleaning status | Cleaned / ready / not cleaned | Yes | User | Before and after use |
| Condition / observations | Free text (normal, or note any issue) | Yes | User | At the activity |
| Deviation raised | Number or N/A | Yes | User | If any status fails or an anomaly occurs |
| User initials / signature | Per signature register | Yes | User | At the activity |
| Reviewed by (periodic) | Initials and date | Yes | Reviewer/QA | On the review cadence |
Completion rules and acceptance
An entry is complete and acceptable when: it was made at the time of the activity; calibration, PM, and qualified-state were confirmed current before use; cleaning status is recorded before and after; the batch/test reference ties the use to a specific record; any failed status or anomaly is linked to a deviation; and the entry is initialed by a registered user. A page is acceptable when entries are sequential with no unexplained gaps, corrections follow the single-line rule, and the page has been reviewed on the defined cadence.
Retention and control
Retain the completed logbook for <<FILL: retention period>>, not less than the retention of the data produced on the equipment. Control blank logbooks through document control (issued, numbered, reconciled). When a logbook is full, close it (final review, archive) and issue the next in sequence so the history is continuous across volumes. On equipment retirement, retain the logbook per the decommissioning procedure.
References
21 CFR 211.182 (equipment cleaning and use log), 211.180 and 211.194 (records and retention). EU GMP Chapter 4 (documentation) and Annex 11 (for electronic logs). MHRA GxP Data Integrity Guidance and Definitions; PIC/S PI 041 (contemporaneous, attributable records).
Confirm the current version and clause numbers of each reference before issue.
Filled sample page
The following shows a completed page for an example chromatography system. The company, system, and numbers are illustrative; replace them with your own.
Equipment: HPLC-07, Room 2-114, QC. Calibration due 30-Sep-2026, PM due 15-Nov-2026.
| Entry | Date | Start / end | Activity | Batch / test | Method | Cal current | PM current | Qualified | Cleaning | Observations | Deviation | Initials | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 041 | 12-Jun-2026 | 08:10 / 11:25 | Use | Assay ASY-2206-018 | METH-ASY-11 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Ready before; cleaned after | System suitability passed | N/A | AP | RG 30-Jun |
| 042 | 12-Jun-2026 | 13:00 / 13:20 | Cleaning | N/A | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes | Cleaned | Flush per SOP | N/A | AP | RG 30-Jun |
| 043 | 13-Jun-2026 | 09:05 / 12:40 | Use | Dissolution DIS-2206-006 | METH-DIS-04 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Ready before; cleaned after | Back-pressure slightly high, within range | N/A | LM | RG 30-Jun |
| 044 | 15-Jun-2026 | 08:30 / 08:45 | Idle-check | N/A | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes | Ready | Not used since entry 043; status confirmed | N/A | AP | RG 30-Jun |
Entry 043 shows the value of the observations field: a rising back-pressure noted while still in range is the early signal that leads to a column change before it becomes an out-of-specification result. The periodic review initials in the last column are the evidence that someone independent reads the log, which is what turns a logbook from a formality into a control.
Common inspection findings this log prevents
- Equipment used while calibration or PM was overdue, with nothing in the record showing status was checked.
- A logbook filled in after the fact, so it is not contemporaneous and cannot be relied on.
- Results produced on equipment with no record it was in a clean, qualified state at the time.
- Corrections made by overwriting or with correction fluid, destroying the original entry.
- Blank lines, gaps in the sequence, or missing initials that break the continuous history.
- A logbook nobody reviews, so an early warning noted in the observations column is never acted on.
How to adapt this log
- Set your logbook number, equipment ID, governing SOP, and retention in the header.
- Add or remove columns to match the equipment: a chamber log needs a mapping and monitoring column, a sterilizer needs a cycle number, a balance may not need a method field.
- If you use an electronic logbook, configure the same fields with a compliant audit trail and keep the completion rules; the review-cadence and status-before-use checks do not change.
- Point the deviation column and the governing SOP to your real procedures.
- Confirm every regulation in the references against the current published version before issue.