You notice a piece of equipment used to check vital signs is not working properly, what steps should you take?

If a piece of equipment used to check vital signs is not working properly, check first for the obvious reason why it is not working properly. For the digital thermometer, see to it if there are batteries or if batteries are placed in the correct position and for the sphygmomanometer, check for broken or missing parts.         
Then if this simple troubleshooting did not solve the technical problem, make a report regarding the issue or follow your company guidelines in reporting non-functional medical equipment or device.