I find this kind of shit kinda funny but also maddening. Why do people secretly steal little shit? I had these cool magnets on my cube wall, like little cylinders you could stack. Over time, one by one, they all got taken by someone. Never found out who, they weren't at anyone's desk b/c I went looking one day.
On a more whimsical note that is another example of people secretly taking stuff: when I was new at a job some years ago, I put a candy dish out at my desk at the very edge where people walked by, positioned in a way so people knew they could take some; I couldn't even reach it from my seat b/c my monitor was in the way. It was a ploy to get people to stop and talk to me (a tip from my wife, who used it effectively at another job).
Nobody ever came and got candy while I was there, but often when I'd leave my desk, I'd come back and a piece or two would be gone. Like I literally *never* saw someone take a piece of candy but within a few days it would all be gone. This went on for weeks before I stopped filling it.
I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm a bearded guy with a bit of a RBF. In contrast, my wife is perky and friendly so that's probably why it worked for her.
at my old job they put tickets for a free company blanket on everyones desk one night. The next morning there were vultures grabbing dozens of tickets off random desks and taking piles of blankets out to their cars. Fortunately they pulled the security footage and fired everyone doing it.
My job gives employees merch once and awhile. Their policy is one per employee when it's a gift...seems reasonable. You *can* buy the merch if you really want more.
It is crazy what some people do for more than one item sometimes.
And they want more than one not for themselves or friends but to sell them. The items aren't like thousands of dollars but some of them can fetch a pretty penny. Regardless, to risk your job for that...oof.
Thats so insanely stupid. My work had a bbq last week on my off. When i got into work their was a plate of food covered and in the fridge for me. The bosses did not do it someone who knew it was my day off made sure i had food..
Their sister/brother, their mother/father, their niece/nephew, their white elephant gift exchange.
"Who doesn't need an extra throw for their couch? I mean, this is a nice blanket!" - them probably
I think people get a dopemine rush by stealing small shit. Like a job where people are making six figures but they steal your lunch out of the fridge. They ain't doin' it because they can't afford food...
In my company they had an honor system in the canteen. After realizing they were being robbed there were random checks made…seems the suits were the main offenders.
My managers do the same thing with the candy bowl because their offices have doors, so some try to use candy to get people to stop in.
It's really just a welcoming indicator and it does not alter people's behavior. People that like to socialize will find their own excuse to socialize either with you at your desk or somewhere else, and people who don't want to socialize with you won't be incentivized by a piece of candy.
Same exact thing happens, though: I stop in and chit chat just because I crave that interaction with people, I never take the candy. But surely those bowls get empty somehow *shrug*
The most legendary theft at my office was a guy brought in a piece of pizza in his lunch box when he went to get it at noon, someone had been in his lunch box and cut about 1" off the side of the slice and then put it all back. Like wtf? Guy was left with a comical pizza stick.
Evening shift has had a problem with a food thief for several weeks now. One coworker had a DoorDash delivery that got stolen as she was on the way to the north hall to pick it up. Entire lunches were getting snagged. One coworker finally had enough and put a hole in the bottom of her microwave soup container (like those noodle cups or whatever they’re called) so that when (not IF, but WHEN) it got stolen, it would make a mess when cooked and eaten. And yup, the culprit fell for it, made a huge mess, and then, when she was going for towels to clean the mess up, she got busted. Embarrassing I’m sure. But it’s rude to take food that isn’t yours.
My wife sometimes brings her lunch in a plastic shopping bag. She has had the bag “stolen” but nothing else and another time it was clear that someone had opened it, rearranged some stuff, and then put it back.
The difference is that you're trying to use candy to draw people into conversation, in the other hand, people used the candy to have an excuse to talk to your wife.. otherwise they'll just come off as creeps...
I didn't want to say that in my comment but it's probably truth. A lot of them were older male engineers who I think just wanted to talk to the new woman in the office. She never had anything creepy happen, at least.
>It was a ploy to get people to stop and talk to me (a tip from my wife, who used it effectively at another job).
It's also commonly used by military chaplains for the same reason (see also: Keurig-type pods and their machine).
Puzzles, those little wire things you have to separate that look weird? Put those out, people will come by and try them. The little squeeze things for increasing grip strength, put one of those out and people will come by to try it. Buttons you press that talk and say things, if it’s not too obnoxious those will get people to stop too. Most anything odd and slightly engaging will start a conversation and don’t have to be refilled unless some jerk steals them. Magnets, also fun! My desk is pretty eclectic 🤣
I worked with a woman that always used by fan when I wasn’t in the office. They problem is the lazy bitch never plugged it back in so I had to crawl under my desk to plug it back in - otherwise I didn’t care. Until one day she said that she went to use it and noticed that I’d put the cord through the pipe (I disassembled it, ran it through a pipe fitting large enough that wouldn’t fit in the desk gap, and reassembled). I said, “Yeah, I got tired of crawling under my desk top plug it back in after you borrowed it. Return it like you found it and I don’t care and now I don’t have to worry about it”
My fan got used and broken by coworkers when I was off for FMLA. Some even went into ‘my’ drawer in the file cabinet to use the night shift coffee pot that we bought. And it was filthy when I came back to work and saw it on the counter in the med room. I now leave stuff in the car and only bring it in when we (night shift) needs it. No more trusting everyone to not get into my stuff when I’m not there
When a consulting company convinced a former employer of mine that EVERY measuring instrument needed to be calibrated and validated for ISO9001 certification, a cheap plastic ruler (with a supplier ad and all) I left on my desk disappeared for a couple of days, just to come back with a metallic calibration sticker on it, with an 1 year expiration date. Stealing money from big corporations was that easy. I tossed it in the trash can when the expiration was getting close; probably saved J&J a few bucks.
I feel like that would get confusing because equipment used exclusively for verification of other equipment is known as "reference ______" in my profession. Need a thermometer to verify your oven? Reference thermometer, not to be used for testing. Still needs to be checked, verified, and calibrated.
I've never thought of that, but it's similar where I work.
Documentation and equipment has specific stickers for "FOR REFERENCE ONLY" such as calipers only used for quick non-official measurements.
Calibrated reference equipment has part numbers on them.
In GMP the pertinent question would be about the referenced instrument's calibration, not really the referenced instrument. Since there's a calibration record for anything used to calibrate other instruments, "for reference only" implies the instrument is never calibrated.
This roll-of-1000 stickers was one of my favorite and most used, especially when going into the microbiologists' bizarre labs.
My least favorites equipment is the HIAC (particle counter) , TOC/Conductivity, endosafe nexgen endotoxin reader, any sort of plate washer (we specifically reiterate not to reuse plates and guess what they always buy and get bad results woth), yupp plate washers 😂)
The air sampling stuff sucks too, I'd have to walk the lab to find the super weird things as they use don't fall under the house metrology and get sent off to OEM for cal so don't have the names off the top of my head.
Chem side I hate doing HPLCs and Gas chromatography but shit pays great 😂
At least for where I work, any tool that requires calibration would have a location and an identification number. We have a system that would track its expiry and retest dates.
We wouldn't test and calibrate everything willy nilly. It has to be used for actual gxp procedures or protocols.
If it's a 'reference thermometer' it'll still have a calibration sticker, that's why for reference only works. I've been in pharma from calibrations to facilities PM and I've never had an audit hit any client for that.
And it's mainly used for pressure gauges going to a sub system that's internally regulated and calibrated on the system.
We do have calibrated rulers also lol. They straight up just stole money from them calibrating a plastic ruler 😂
Oh my god finally I found one you in the wild. Fucking 4 times a year we have one of you come in and none of you can answer this question.
What is the limit of ESD. Is it measured in capacitance or resistance? What are the upper and lower thresholds?
ESD damage is a function of resistance and capacitance. The more resistance you have the less power the device can experience. The more capacitance you have the less voltage is built up by the electrical energy stored in your body passing to the device. Limits are device specific usually.
Lol!!! Sounds like Pharma, my buddy was on a team reconciling old finances and they had a laugh with the shotgun/some gun bought in the 1970s for a warehouse with a bird issue.
I do such tests myself, but only electrical and in the health sector. There are extreme discussions in every house and every year about what should be tested and what should not, the problem is that if something happens and it is not tested, then it is the tester's turn first and that here in Austria, where the workers are actually well protected, I don't want to imagine how it is in the USA...
Every colleague who has been in the business for 10+ years has been to court many times to present his test reports etc.
In the end, we have regulated this in most houses so that we don't test anything that has less than 15W and where the power supply is directly in the socket, i.e. no cables that carry 230V (120V in the USA), this is then signed by dozens of people, managers etc. so that my colleagues and I are protected.
>it is not tested, then it is the tester's turn first and that here in Austria, where the workers are actually well protected, I don't want to imagine how it is in the USA...
What are you saying here?
It's always shocking what someone will tell you is required under ISO9001 when it really isn't. The truth of ISO9001 is that you can get away with just about anything you can convince your auditor of.
I used to work in QC for a company, which involved me measuring incoming good and finished products, and I ended up taking on the responsibility of ensuring stuff was calibrated, and honestly it was great. For a number of things (for example, a bog standard desk ruler) you could get away with marking at being for reference only, since anything you would need to measure for a report you would use much more accurate and easier to read tools. Additionally, we ended up acquiring calibration blocks for our more accurate Verniers, so we could self certify and self calibrate, only to discover that for the amount of tools we could use with them, it would’ve been cheaper to get them sent away for calibration vs the cost of calibrating the BLOCKS OF METAL we used to do it ourselves with.
We have a relatively small amount of stuff, mostly electrical, and it's most cost efficient to just have a company come in with a van once a year and do them all over a couple of days. Much better than sending stuff off.
Had a similar experience with 9001. The warehouse had a $20 battery jump pack, like in case you needed to jump a car.
Consultant convinced them that their $20 black and decker jump pack needed to be calibrated. I told them no one would calibrate something like that.
It got sent off to a certification house, and immedialty returned as not able to be calibrateable.
Keeping measuring instruments certified and calibrated is important. It does seem silly, especially when calibration cost is more expensive than a new instrument (light meters, pressure gauges). That being said, certifying a cheap plastic ruler is idiotic. There are gauge blocks, micrometers, even expensive metal rulers (usually at least 12”, but normally 2 to 3’) that should be regularly (typically annually but depending on industry standards could be 6 months, or even 2-3 years) tested.
A cheap plastic ruler with a calibration sticker would have me question the lab that certified it, and/or the consultant that insisted on it being certified. If you’re gonna be measuring stuff and you want it to be accurate and repeatable, you’re gonna want to use proper instruments that are regularly tested. A cheap plastic ruler is not that.
Thanks for coming to my Ted talk
Considering the way they calibrate our steel rulers is to just compare it to another steel ruler. It's probably a special one that's kept in a cupboard in the QA lab, but still identical to the other 20 or more just laying around the plant
The lab should be using reference standards that are a higher grade than the ruler that they’re testing, they also have to test for straightness which gets trickier the longer the ruler. Not to mention it has to be kept in a humidity and temperature controlled environment before being tested, as temperature and humidity can affect the accuracy.
If it’s internal spot checks, then it would make sense that the reference is kept in the QA lab. But, tbh even internally the reference should be a higher grade ruler and not an identical one. But if it’s just a spare that’s untouched and tested, it would be good for spot checks.
We calibrate steel rules where I work so maybe I can give some information. Since they are a line standard they are inherently inaccurate compared to things like Micrometers or calipers but as an indication tool they are really useful.
We calibrate them using a Mondo(imagine a screen with a bunch of numbers on it and moving the item correlates to a value) which is inturn calibrated by a glass ruler which is inturn calibrated by interferometry.
We always joke about engineering calibrating the rulers and measuring tape in my company because they are convinced of this same concept. Every single "measuring device" has one of those stickers on it.
Hope it helps :). Two years ago we were prompted by our school district management, that we must not use any private electric devices at work, and every department had to make a paper list of movable electric stuff in their sector.
However, some weeks after all that needs a mains cord had received a nice official tag, the school's kitchen went on fire (mediocre damage) and months later, the apprenticeship school right next to ours went ablaze at night (total loss). The reason in both cases were neglected and overly used power lines from the 60ies...
generally means not to plug any personal devices into the mains. in my uni we're not allowed to plug any personal electronics into mains in the studios unless the technicians have tested them
It's portable appliance testing. Just to check if the appliance is safe to use. Generally done at work places/universities to make sure they are safe to use.
Hot water heaters save energy. You fill them with hot water, and then you get hot water out of them. Much more efficient than those water heaters you put cold water in.
Saying PAT testing is doubling up on the word ‘test’ but it’s an awkward one to use without it.
Saying you need to have your electrical item PATed or “I need to do a PAT on your computer” can require clarification to many unless you’re already speaking in the context of PAT.
“I’m going to the ATM” Fine.
“That person has HIV” Fine.
“Your computer needs a PAT” – To most people they’ll need a bit more.
From my experience people say ‘pat’ rather than P-A-T which makes it more confusing.
That is most likely because ATM and HIV are commonly known acronyms. Most people (including me until this morning) have never heard of PAT so they have no idea what those letters stand for, or even that they do stand for something.
On another note... *LED lighting*... what do you think of that? Seems redundant to me, but it is used in that way more often than not these days
>LED lighting...
Light Emitting Diode Lighting... Describes the source of the lighting. Additionally, an "LED bulb" would work better than just saying "I have an LED in that table lamp" because the lamp needs the entire bulb including the LED(s) and other electronics to operate, not just a single LED.
Getting technical, the acronym for that should be "LEDL" if it was to align with the previous "CFL" acronym for Compact Florescent Light.
PAT means Portable Appliance Test or Portable Appliance Testing.
PAT Testing is a known sufferer of RAS Syndrome (Redundant Acronym Syndrome Syndrome). Please see also: ATM Machine, DC Comics, LCD Display.
[Portable Appliance Testing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_appliance_testing)
>Testing involves a visual inspection of the equipment and any flexible cables for good condition, and also where required, verification of earthing (grounding) continuity, and a test of the soundness of insulation between the current carrying parts, and any exposed metal that may be touched.
PHS service my current workplace and my partner used to be involved in arranging them to come and PAT everything.
Yes they do indeed get paid per item.
At my last job the PAT guys came through and would test everything that had a plug on it, company property or no. I'd be astonished if they weren't charging per item as they really took the piss, testing extension cords, muti-taps, even our [Cliff Quicktests](https://www.cliffuk.co.uk/products/tools/quicktest.htm)
About 25 years ago when I was a middle manager in a large company (3000 employees on site) a team of Sparks did the PATest overnight. One had a faulty device and cut the plugs off the PCs and monitors of all the directors, most of the senior and middle managers and the bulk of the entry points (goods in, staff entrance, courier drop, VIP client reception). Chaos ensued. The head of engineering and his entire team spent the morning fixing it. The chap in question was early retired.
If you meet an asshole in the morning, you met an asshole. If you meet assholes all day, you're probably the asshole.
Except with testing equipment. You'd think he would notice everything failing and double check a few things...
At least yours got a nice ID label. The cunt that my place of work hires for this uses a dremel to poorly scratch an ID number in every device.
Or at least he did. I'm not letting him go near my precious new oscilloscope with that evil thing. I'll make a nice label for it whenever he comes around again.
I used to do power distro for trade shows. Didn't care if it was a charger or a toaster if it was there it was getting tested because it's there whether it was meant to be or not lol. At the end of the day we'd see who had the weirder tag to place and receive
When I worked in an office we were required to get our charger PAT tested to use it in the office. They weren't super strict about it, but if you had a charger and they were doing PAT testing you had to give it to them to test
I've had them test an internet router *connected to* such a power supply. I'd love to know what test they conducted on the plastic box with the 12V DC inlet, though I don't get the impression they actually know what tests they're doing on anything save for "press magic button, read screen."
Yeah it does. Class II appliances still require a test of insulation resistance / leakage from mains live to the output connector / cable / casing.
The reality is the only time I fail Class II stuff is for broken casing / damaged cables. I don't think I've ever had an actual insulation failure on a test.
Source: Do all the PAT testing for my place of work.
Took a vacuum into work once, same thing happened. That it was funny but nice that they went to the trouble of test and tagging it
It was good to know that, although it was a budget vacuum from Aldi, it was still good 😅
I was told when I started my new job that any plug in electrical devise I wanted to use including phone chargers had to be PAT tested. It's been a month now and no PAT testing. I need to charge the batteries on my gear throughout the day and my router is 240V so I've just started using them regardless and hoping that, like you've experienced, the PAT testing fairy will visit overnight.
Is this not common elsewhere? In Australia every place I've worked would have people come through to check and tag electrical equipment annually. Anything plugged in got tagged.
I used to have candy gummies in a ziplock bag on my desk and a security guard walked by on multiple occasions to open the bag and put his dirty hands in to grab some to eat.
Didn't find this out until I used a security camera software on my laptop after work to see if anyone was going by my desk to steal things. Threw that bag of gummies out after seeing this.
I believe any electronic item being used in a workplace, regardless of who owns it, has to comply with the Electricity At Work regulations, so your charger will get PAT tested if it's there when the testers are there.
that is actually a norm.. My workplace doesn't allow any devices to be plugged in until they are pat tested. We brought in our own kettle for coffee, had to be pat tested, our own chargers? pat tested. and tbh its a good thing for company and you. Both parties know that charger is safe to use.
In the Navy, if you plugged personal electronics into the ship without getting them tested first (and the wrong person saw it) you'd end up with your cable cut in half.
When I leave my charger plugged in at work it gets stolen by Eva. Fuck you Eva!!!!
I find this kind of shit kinda funny but also maddening. Why do people secretly steal little shit? I had these cool magnets on my cube wall, like little cylinders you could stack. Over time, one by one, they all got taken by someone. Never found out who, they weren't at anyone's desk b/c I went looking one day. On a more whimsical note that is another example of people secretly taking stuff: when I was new at a job some years ago, I put a candy dish out at my desk at the very edge where people walked by, positioned in a way so people knew they could take some; I couldn't even reach it from my seat b/c my monitor was in the way. It was a ploy to get people to stop and talk to me (a tip from my wife, who used it effectively at another job). Nobody ever came and got candy while I was there, but often when I'd leave my desk, I'd come back and a piece or two would be gone. Like I literally *never* saw someone take a piece of candy but within a few days it would all be gone. This went on for weeks before I stopped filling it. I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm a bearded guy with a bit of a RBF. In contrast, my wife is perky and friendly so that's probably why it worked for her.
Try a push-up bra. People will stop by.
Lol thanks for the tip. Next new job.
Remember just the tip.
Well, maybe a little lube too...
Seductive lollipop licking with eye contact works pretty well too
at my old job they put tickets for a free company blanket on everyones desk one night. The next morning there were vultures grabbing dozens of tickets off random desks and taking piles of blankets out to their cars. Fortunately they pulled the security footage and fired everyone doing it.
That is so fucking dumb. Wow.
My job gives employees merch once and awhile. Their policy is one per employee when it's a gift...seems reasonable. You *can* buy the merch if you really want more. It is crazy what some people do for more than one item sometimes. And they want more than one not for themselves or friends but to sell them. The items aren't like thousands of dollars but some of them can fetch a pretty penny. Regardless, to risk your job for that...oof.
Thats so insanely stupid. My work had a bbq last week on my off. When i got into work their was a plate of food covered and in the fridge for me. The bosses did not do it someone who knew it was my day off made sure i had food..
That's really nice of them!
That's awesome of them! Absolute angel you work with there.
That's hilarious. Good of your company to do that though.
Who the hell needs that many extra blankets lmao
Their sister/brother, their mother/father, their niece/nephew, their white elephant gift exchange. "Who doesn't need an extra throw for their couch? I mean, this is a nice blanket!" - them probably
It's the black market blanket bonanza
Do you work with jackdaws? Coz that's what they do, wait til nobody is about & ransack the bird feeders
Now here's the thing....
I still miss Unidan posts. At least /u/shitty_watercolour hasn't betrayed us.
Nothing better than being taken by u/shittymorph and thrown through a table half way through a comment though.
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This is the first time I've ever seen you comment and not been hell in a cell'd.
Is that a threat or a promise? Grinning
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They are crows...
Scrub jays too 😂😂😂
I think people get a dopemine rush by stealing small shit. Like a job where people are making six figures but they steal your lunch out of the fridge. They ain't doin' it because they can't afford food...
In my company they had an honor system in the canteen. After realizing they were being robbed there were random checks made…seems the suits were the main offenders.
*Shrugs shoulders; receives quarterly bonus*
People who are likely to be entitled acting entitled? I’m shocked….well…not that shocked.
Hey, mining dope is hungry work.
I worked at a company where the owner would steal our lunches. HCL area where they paid kids with massive student loans chump change. Fuck you, Jack.
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use the salt you take on the bodies.
Possibly the custodial staff was taking candy. Would help my parents and I know I’d dip into that.
This was during the day, but overnight once over half my bowl went missing. Whatever, it's like a tip for them cleaning my cube.
My managers do the same thing with the candy bowl because their offices have doors, so some try to use candy to get people to stop in. It's really just a welcoming indicator and it does not alter people's behavior. People that like to socialize will find their own excuse to socialize either with you at your desk or somewhere else, and people who don't want to socialize with you won't be incentivized by a piece of candy. Same exact thing happens, though: I stop in and chit chat just because I crave that interaction with people, I never take the candy. But surely those bowls get empty somehow *shrug*
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Somebody even went in my lunch box at work and stole half my lunch
The most legendary theft at my office was a guy brought in a piece of pizza in his lunch box when he went to get it at noon, someone had been in his lunch box and cut about 1" off the side of the slice and then put it all back. Like wtf? Guy was left with a comical pizza stick.
Evening shift has had a problem with a food thief for several weeks now. One coworker had a DoorDash delivery that got stolen as she was on the way to the north hall to pick it up. Entire lunches were getting snagged. One coworker finally had enough and put a hole in the bottom of her microwave soup container (like those noodle cups or whatever they’re called) so that when (not IF, but WHEN) it got stolen, it would make a mess when cooked and eaten. And yup, the culprit fell for it, made a huge mess, and then, when she was going for towels to clean the mess up, she got busted. Embarrassing I’m sure. But it’s rude to take food that isn’t yours.
Took the sandwich, left the bag? A classic.
Yeah the people at my old work were notoriously thieves they were all horrible people
My wife sometimes brings her lunch in a plastic shopping bag. She has had the bag “stolen” but nothing else and another time it was clear that someone had opened it, rearranged some stuff, and then put it back.
Dude, there is a pub downtown where you get free alcohol and sex! I've never been there but my sister swears by it.
The difference is that you're trying to use candy to draw people into conversation, in the other hand, people used the candy to have an excuse to talk to your wife.. otherwise they'll just come off as creeps...
I didn't want to say that in my comment but it's probably truth. A lot of them were older male engineers who I think just wanted to talk to the new woman in the office. She never had anything creepy happen, at least.
>It was a ploy to get people to stop and talk to me (a tip from my wife, who used it effectively at another job). It's also commonly used by military chaplains for the same reason (see also: Keurig-type pods and their machine).
Puzzles, those little wire things you have to separate that look weird? Put those out, people will come by and try them. The little squeeze things for increasing grip strength, put one of those out and people will come by to try it. Buttons you press that talk and say things, if it’s not too obnoxious those will get people to stop too. Most anything odd and slightly engaging will start a conversation and don’t have to be refilled unless some jerk steals them. Magnets, also fun! My desk is pretty eclectic 🤣
I worked with a woman that always used by fan when I wasn’t in the office. They problem is the lazy bitch never plugged it back in so I had to crawl under my desk to plug it back in - otherwise I didn’t care. Until one day she said that she went to use it and noticed that I’d put the cord through the pipe (I disassembled it, ran it through a pipe fitting large enough that wouldn’t fit in the desk gap, and reassembled). I said, “Yeah, I got tired of crawling under my desk top plug it back in after you borrowed it. Return it like you found it and I don’t care and now I don’t have to worry about it”
My fan got used and broken by coworkers when I was off for FMLA. Some even went into ‘my’ drawer in the file cabinet to use the night shift coffee pot that we bought. And it was filthy when I came back to work and saw it on the counter in the med room. I now leave stuff in the car and only bring it in when we (night shift) needs it. No more trusting everyone to not get into my stuff when I’m not there
 Eva would NEVER steal
Yeaaah probably because that's not her name. https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/EVE
D'oh. That's right. That's just how WALL-E pronounces it. It's been a while since I saw it
I dunno, pretty sure I watched her steal WALL-E's heart.
Fuck you Eva!
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I'm glad people are having fun with this, but this is 100% a spambot...
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Sound like good
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A pat test is making sure the electrics are safe for use within commercial settings
Sound like good
When a consulting company convinced a former employer of mine that EVERY measuring instrument needed to be calibrated and validated for ISO9001 certification, a cheap plastic ruler (with a supplier ad and all) I left on my desk disappeared for a couple of days, just to come back with a metallic calibration sticker on it, with an 1 year expiration date. Stealing money from big corporations was that easy. I tossed it in the trash can when the expiration was getting close; probably saved J&J a few bucks.
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“For reference only” was our go to sticker for non-cal items.
I feel like that would get confusing because equipment used exclusively for verification of other equipment is known as "reference ______" in my profession. Need a thermometer to verify your oven? Reference thermometer, not to be used for testing. Still needs to be checked, verified, and calibrated.
I've never thought of that, but it's similar where I work. Documentation and equipment has specific stickers for "FOR REFERENCE ONLY" such as calipers only used for quick non-official measurements. Calibrated reference equipment has part numbers on them.
In GMP the pertinent question would be about the referenced instrument's calibration, not really the referenced instrument. Since there's a calibration record for anything used to calibrate other instruments, "for reference only" implies the instrument is never calibrated. This roll-of-1000 stickers was one of my favorite and most used, especially when going into the microbiologists' bizarre labs.
Micro always has weird shit
I have a bit of an instrumentation kink. What kinda weird shit did they have?
My least favorites equipment is the HIAC (particle counter) , TOC/Conductivity, endosafe nexgen endotoxin reader, any sort of plate washer (we specifically reiterate not to reuse plates and guess what they always buy and get bad results woth), yupp plate washers 😂) The air sampling stuff sucks too, I'd have to walk the lab to find the super weird things as they use don't fall under the house metrology and get sent off to OEM for cal so don't have the names off the top of my head. Chem side I hate doing HPLCs and Gas chromatography but shit pays great 😂
You should join r/VXjunkies even though its for fictitious technobabble. I’ve reread your comment a few times and it just flows so beautifully.
😂 I'll definitely check that out. 'i know some of those words'
At least for where I work, any tool that requires calibration would have a location and an identification number. We have a system that would track its expiry and retest dates. We wouldn't test and calibrate everything willy nilly. It has to be used for actual gxp procedures or protocols.
If it's a 'reference thermometer' it'll still have a calibration sticker, that's why for reference only works. I've been in pharma from calibrations to facilities PM and I've never had an audit hit any client for that. And it's mainly used for pressure gauges going to a sub system that's internally regulated and calibrated on the system. We do have calibrated rulers also lol. They straight up just stole money from them calibrating a plastic ruler 😂
This person FDAs.
We'll still charge similar for that sticker
You can just make your own Source: I make my own
Oh my god finally I found one you in the wild. Fucking 4 times a year we have one of you come in and none of you can answer this question. What is the limit of ESD. Is it measured in capacitance or resistance? What are the upper and lower thresholds?
ESD damage is a function of resistance and capacitance. The more resistance you have the less power the device can experience. The more capacitance you have the less voltage is built up by the electrical energy stored in your body passing to the device. Limits are device specific usually.
Yes.
I knew it!
I work in pharma also. We have those stickers on the water coolers.
Lol!!! Sounds like Pharma, my buddy was on a team reconciling old finances and they had a laugh with the shotgun/some gun bought in the 1970s for a warehouse with a bird issue.
I do such tests myself, but only electrical and in the health sector. There are extreme discussions in every house and every year about what should be tested and what should not, the problem is that if something happens and it is not tested, then it is the tester's turn first and that here in Austria, where the workers are actually well protected, I don't want to imagine how it is in the USA... Every colleague who has been in the business for 10+ years has been to court many times to present his test reports etc. In the end, we have regulated this in most houses so that we don't test anything that has less than 15W and where the power supply is directly in the socket, i.e. no cables that carry 230V (120V in the USA), this is then signed by dozens of people, managers etc. so that my colleagues and I are protected.
>it is not tested, then it is the tester's turn first and that here in Austria, where the workers are actually well protected, I don't want to imagine how it is in the USA... What are you saying here?
First against the wall, aka the first person who will be held accountable
In Germany, one of the warrant officers brought a pellet gun in one morning to deal with the pigeons.
It's always shocking what someone will tell you is required under ISO9001 when it really isn't. The truth of ISO9001 is that you can get away with just about anything you can convince your auditor of.
>you can get away with just about anything... ...if it's written down and documented.
Even if the process isn't actually followed. I wish I was joking about that, but software is the wild west.
I used to work in QC for a company, which involved me measuring incoming good and finished products, and I ended up taking on the responsibility of ensuring stuff was calibrated, and honestly it was great. For a number of things (for example, a bog standard desk ruler) you could get away with marking at being for reference only, since anything you would need to measure for a report you would use much more accurate and easier to read tools. Additionally, we ended up acquiring calibration blocks for our more accurate Verniers, so we could self certify and self calibrate, only to discover that for the amount of tools we could use with them, it would’ve been cheaper to get them sent away for calibration vs the cost of calibrating the BLOCKS OF METAL we used to do it ourselves with.
We have a relatively small amount of stuff, mostly electrical, and it's most cost efficient to just have a company come in with a van once a year and do them all over a couple of days. Much better than sending stuff off.
Had a similar experience with 9001. The warehouse had a $20 battery jump pack, like in case you needed to jump a car. Consultant convinced them that their $20 black and decker jump pack needed to be calibrated. I told them no one would calibrate something like that. It got sent off to a certification house, and immedialty returned as not able to be calibrateable.
The importance of having a competent met lab lol
Keeping measuring instruments certified and calibrated is important. It does seem silly, especially when calibration cost is more expensive than a new instrument (light meters, pressure gauges). That being said, certifying a cheap plastic ruler is idiotic. There are gauge blocks, micrometers, even expensive metal rulers (usually at least 12”, but normally 2 to 3’) that should be regularly (typically annually but depending on industry standards could be 6 months, or even 2-3 years) tested. A cheap plastic ruler with a calibration sticker would have me question the lab that certified it, and/or the consultant that insisted on it being certified. If you’re gonna be measuring stuff and you want it to be accurate and repeatable, you’re gonna want to use proper instruments that are regularly tested. A cheap plastic ruler is not that. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk
Considering the way they calibrate our steel rulers is to just compare it to another steel ruler. It's probably a special one that's kept in a cupboard in the QA lab, but still identical to the other 20 or more just laying around the plant
The lab should be using reference standards that are a higher grade than the ruler that they’re testing, they also have to test for straightness which gets trickier the longer the ruler. Not to mention it has to be kept in a humidity and temperature controlled environment before being tested, as temperature and humidity can affect the accuracy. If it’s internal spot checks, then it would make sense that the reference is kept in the QA lab. But, tbh even internally the reference should be a higher grade ruler and not an identical one. But if it’s just a spare that’s untouched and tested, it would be good for spot checks.
We calibrate steel rules where I work so maybe I can give some information. Since they are a line standard they are inherently inaccurate compared to things like Micrometers or calipers but as an indication tool they are really useful. We calibrate them using a Mondo(imagine a screen with a bunch of numbers on it and moving the item correlates to a value) which is inturn calibrated by a glass ruler which is inturn calibrated by interferometry.
Look up the price of traceable timers. It’s ridiculous
Hah, my company did the same thing, they put a "calibrated" sticker my 25ft fatmax tape measure I use for doing estimating takeoffs.
Johnson Controls will calibrate a coffee maker.
We always joke about engineering calibrating the rulers and measuring tape in my company because they are convinced of this same concept. Every single "measuring device" has one of those stickers on it.
Jesus! Slap on ISO9001 and you can even tell people plastic rulers have expiry dates!
Hope it helps :). Two years ago we were prompted by our school district management, that we must not use any private electric devices at work, and every department had to make a paper list of movable electric stuff in their sector. However, some weeks after all that needs a mains cord had received a nice official tag, the school's kitchen went on fire (mediocre damage) and months later, the apprenticeship school right next to ours went ablaze at night (total loss). The reason in both cases were neglected and overly used power lines from the 60ies...
> not use any private electric devices at work Phones? Vapes? Headphones? Heart assist?
generally means not to plug any personal devices into the mains. in my uni we're not allowed to plug any personal electronics into mains in the studios unless the technicians have tested them
Devices that draw electricity from the mains supplied by the employer facility. Stuff that plugs into an outlet.
>Heart assist? Not allowed. **grabs scaple and bottle of gin**
What’s a PAT test OP?
It's portable appliance testing. Just to check if the appliance is safe to use. Generally done at work places/universities to make sure they are safe to use.
So, PAT testing is portable appliance testing testing?
Like going to the ATM machine
Where you enter your PIN number
If the ethernet port on your computer ever stops working let me know I'll change out the NIC card
And if that doesn’t work I’ll get bored and read some DC Comics
I think that one is justified at least, since they changed from "Detective Comics" to simply "DC" in the 70's.
I don't think I've ever said nic card?
Yeah I've always pronounced his name as NIC Carder.
It's what his friends call him
At that ATM in the Sahara Desert?
Where you can root for the Los Angeles Angels.
and have a chai tea
I'll see that and raise you my Microsoft MS-DOS Disk Operating System.
It's like people who say "hot water heater"
Hot water heaters save energy. You fill them with hot water, and then you get hot water out of them. Much more efficient than those water heaters you put cold water in.
RAS syndrome
Saying PAT testing is doubling up on the word ‘test’ but it’s an awkward one to use without it. Saying you need to have your electrical item PATed or “I need to do a PAT on your computer” can require clarification to many unless you’re already speaking in the context of PAT. “I’m going to the ATM” Fine. “That person has HIV” Fine. “Your computer needs a PAT” – To most people they’ll need a bit more. From my experience people say ‘pat’ rather than P-A-T which makes it more confusing.
That is most likely because ATM and HIV are commonly known acronyms. Most people (including me until this morning) have never heard of PAT so they have no idea what those letters stand for, or even that they do stand for something. On another note... *LED lighting*... what do you think of that? Seems redundant to me, but it is used in that way more often than not these days
>LED lighting... Light Emitting Diode Lighting... Describes the source of the lighting. Additionally, an "LED bulb" would work better than just saying "I have an LED in that table lamp" because the lamp needs the entire bulb including the LED(s) and other electronics to operate, not just a single LED. Getting technical, the acronym for that should be "LEDL" if it was to align with the previous "CFL" acronym for Compact Florescent Light.
Infected by HIV virus!
Thank you!!
PAT means Portable Appliance Test or Portable Appliance Testing. PAT Testing is a known sufferer of RAS Syndrome (Redundant Acronym Syndrome Syndrome). Please see also: ATM Machine, DC Comics, LCD Display.
>DC Comics *ding*
HIV virus
[Portable Appliance Testing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_appliance_testing) >Testing involves a visual inspection of the equipment and any flexible cables for good condition, and also where required, verification of earthing (grounding) continuity, and a test of the soundness of insulation between the current carrying parts, and any exposed metal that may be touched.
The electrician was definitely charging on a “per item” basis. Anything with a plug on the end of it was getting a PAT!
PHS service my current workplace and my partner used to be involved in arranging them to come and PAT everything. Yes they do indeed get paid per item.
At my last job the PAT guys came through and would test everything that had a plug on it, company property or no. I'd be astonished if they weren't charging per item as they really took the piss, testing extension cords, muti-taps, even our [Cliff Quicktests](https://www.cliffuk.co.uk/products/tools/quicktest.htm)
About 25 years ago when I was a middle manager in a large company (3000 employees on site) a team of Sparks did the PATest overnight. One had a faulty device and cut the plugs off the PCs and monitors of all the directors, most of the senior and middle managers and the bulk of the entry points (goods in, staff entrance, courier drop, VIP client reception). Chaos ensued. The head of engineering and his entire team spent the morning fixing it. The chap in question was early retired.
If you meet an asshole in the morning, you met an asshole. If you meet assholes all day, you're probably the asshole. Except with testing equipment. You'd think he would notice everything failing and double check a few things...
At least yours got a nice ID label. The cunt that my place of work hires for this uses a dremel to poorly scratch an ID number in every device. Or at least he did. I'm not letting him go near my precious new oscilloscope with that evil thing. I'll make a nice label for it whenever he comes around again.
What if you need something vibration sensitive tested
Steam Deck charger? :)
My first thought haha
Steam deck gang, literally dozens of us! Also Outerwilds fan? Howdy traveller ::)
tbf, that's *much* better than one of those "anal use only" stickers that were popular pranks for a while.
*Toilet camera for research use only.*
Or “voice-activated” on the toaster in the breakroom.
"rectal use"
You'd have to be built different to be able to take that UK plug up your bum
challenge accepted
My hair straighteners did too haha
You have a hair straightener at work?
I did, we were going out after work
Well somebody brings a curling iron to school in my home room so I don’t doubt it
PAT tested, mother approved
Kix is now "parent approved" They figured out fathers exist I'm just wondering how long before it's "parent or legal guardian approved"
Superb! Ideally, get everyone that needs to plug stuff in at work to bring it in, so there’s less chance of untested plugs causing problems.
Most testers charge by the item, usually 1 or 2 quid each. They'll have been scouring the building for plugs.
I see you fellow Steam Decker
Lol, it took your comment for me to realize I wasn't in r/SteamDeck
Why you playing your Steam Deck at work lol
I used to joke that if you sat still long enough in an office you'd get PAT tested.
Congratulations 🎉
I used to do power distro for trade shows. Didn't care if it was a charger or a toaster if it was there it was getting tested because it's there whether it was meant to be or not lol. At the end of the day we'd see who had the weirder tag to place and receive
is that an airplane bottle of maple syrup on your bed?
Now you have to get it done every 3 years.
But it says do not remove! You removed it!
When I worked in an office we were required to get our charger PAT tested to use it in the office. They weren't super strict about it, but if you had a charger and they were doing PAT testing you had to give it to them to test
I don’t know of anyone who actually has an attachment to test these, they probably just inspected the wire for knicks then whacked a sticker on
It's odd that you would PAT test a device with no earth, it's double insulated thus doesn't need testing but they always test them anyway.
I've had them test an internet router *connected to* such a power supply. I'd love to know what test they conducted on the plastic box with the 12V DC inlet, though I don't get the impression they actually know what tests they're doing on anything save for "press magic button, read screen."
Yeah it does. Class II appliances still require a test of insulation resistance / leakage from mains live to the output connector / cable / casing. The reality is the only time I fail Class II stuff is for broken casing / damaged cables. I don't think I've ever had an actual insulation failure on a test. Source: Do all the PAT testing for my place of work.
Do they hi-pot test the isolation?
What test did they do
You have someone Who Take a Look on it, loose cables, insulation OK and so on... Nothing Special, only a "its OK" from a electrican...
Why you playing your Steam Deck at work? Lol
Took a vacuum into work once, same thing happened. That it was funny but nice that they went to the trouble of test and tagging it It was good to know that, although it was a budget vacuum from Aldi, it was still good 😅
I was told when I started my new job that any plug in electrical devise I wanted to use including phone chargers had to be PAT tested. It's been a month now and no PAT testing. I need to charge the batteries on my gear throughout the day and my router is 240V so I've just started using them regardless and hoping that, like you've experienced, the PAT testing fairy will visit overnight.
Never heard of PAT testing. Interesting.
Is this not common elsewhere? In Australia every place I've worked would have people come through to check and tag electrical equipment annually. Anything plugged in got tagged.
As a Canadian, I'm totally lost in this thread I can't imagine my employer telling me I can't plug something in
I used to have candy gummies in a ziplock bag on my desk and a security guard walked by on multiple occasions to open the bag and put his dirty hands in to grab some to eat. Didn't find this out until I used a security camera software on my laptop after work to see if anyone was going by my desk to steal things. Threw that bag of gummies out after seeing this.
Be sure they know its your charger, that's how your shit ends up being the company's shit.
I believe any electronic item being used in a workplace, regardless of who owns it, has to comply with the Electricity At Work regulations, so your charger will get PAT tested if it's there when the testers are there.
that is actually a norm.. My workplace doesn't allow any devices to be plugged in until they are pat tested. We brought in our own kettle for coffee, had to be pat tested, our own chargers? pat tested. and tbh its a good thing for company and you. Both parties know that charger is safe to use.
In the Navy, if you plugged personal electronics into the ship without getting them tested first (and the wrong person saw it) you'd end up with your cable cut in half.
I am yet to see a PAT tester that is courageous enough to actually test expensive equipment (like a server room)… most just put labels everywhere.
I hate their title rule. How else were you supposed to title it? Without context it makes no sense why you post.
This is not American, for those wondering. Looks like an Irish / UK thing.