ISO 12176-3:2011 describes the format and the contents of a fusion operator's badge, which is used during the construction of polyethylene (PE) piping systems for the supply of gaseous fuels or water to identify the fusion operator and to activate or deactivate the fusion-jointing equipment. The objective of ISO 12176-3:2011 is to achieve international interoperability between the operator's badge and the card-reading equipment of fusion-jointing equipment conforming to ISO 12176‑1 or ISO 12176‑2. The fusion-jointing equipment is required to read either the bar code or the magnetic-stripe code of the badge and to call up the corresponding data within the equipment in a standard format.