An uncertain answer means ToolCustody cannot yet tell the browser whether the action committed. Keep the physical tool and borrower situation controlled. Never repeat a handover, return or restow merely to obtain a visible success message.
Reconcile the existing request
Use the page's original-request check when it appears. It retains the actor, action, command identity and exact payload needed to reconcile the result. A recorded receipt is the outcome of that request. A definite not-applied result is different from an unknown or denied response.
If the action was accepted, use the saved asset and loan state. If it was confirmed not applied, inspect current facts before following the offered next action. A conflicting request or missing authority needs investigation; changing the command identity cannot safely settle the original.
Do not ask another person to reconcile as if they were you. Current identity and permission still apply to receipt disclosure. Give the Supervisor the original action, asset, time and visible outcome when the page cannot recover it.
Check station and scan state
Confirm the chosen station and your own sign-in. An ended, locked or stale station session cannot authorise custody changes. Sign in again or select current station control when instructed, then inspect the actual tool and current record.
Tool scans and borrower badges select records. They never authenticate a borrower or perform issue. An unknown scan clears the previous target; recheck selection before confirming any physical declaration. Do not reuse a previous green preview after changing asset, borrower, task or interval.
Respect a refused handover
A stale preview, concurrent issue, hold, changed qualification, changed reference release or recovery barrier can refuse an action. Refresh and prepare against the current facts. A green preview is not an exclusive reservation.
A due or damaged tool should still use the authorised truthful return route. If a security or recovery barrier blocks it, keep the physical return controlled and ask the Supervisor or Owner to arrange the permitted review; do not fabricate a good condition to bypass it.
For printing uncertainty, retain the original print intent and use its reconciliation. A successful PDF download is not physical output. Read history and documents for document evidence and Accounts access problems for identity issues.
Compare scanner input and technical state
Open the scanner test and expand Test a scanner. Focus Scan here and scan a known label. Compare Characters, Count and Terminator with the printed value. ToolCustody expects exact characters followed by Enter. A Tab suffix or unexpected spaces should be corrected in the scanner settings before custody work. This browser-only comparison sends no scan to the server and does not qualify a physical device.
An Owner or Supervisor can read Health for technical checks, readiness information and work needing a person. Keep a failed technical check separate from the asset's actual custody or qualification; a healthy page does not resolve a hold. Use the original-request recovery procedure for an interrupted physical handover.