# The sign on the frame and the status in the register must match

Tape without a status, or a status without tape, is how a member uses a machine you closed.

Pick one physical signal and use it every time: a hanger, a tape band in a known colour, a cone. The words on it should be the same words as the status. “Do not use” on the frame and “active” on the public page is a contradiction members will resolve in their own favour.

When you return a machine to service, remove the sign in the same visit as you change the status. A sign left on a working machine teaches people to ignore signs.

## Night and unstaffed hours

If nobody is there to explain, the sign and the public page are the whole staff. They need to be readable without a login. “Ask reception” is not a status at midnight.

Do not use a scrap of paper that falls off. If the sign can be removed by a member who wants the machine, it will be. The status still has to be visible on the page they can scan.

A photo of the sign on the fault is a useful check that it was actually hung.

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Source: https://gymmaintain.com/blog/signs-that-match-the-register
Language: en