Teams sometimes paste recovery phrases into ticket systems “for backup.” That habit destroys the point of an air-gapped desk. In Dataflow Core courses we practice logging the procedure: who was present, which metal plate or paper medium was used, where the sealed container went, and which camera was forbidden from the room.
Safe log shape
Use placeholders in shared documents: “24-word phrase written to medium type A; dual control by roles B and C; storage location code D.” Keep actual material offline. If a peer review needs proof, show sealed packaging under dual control — do not type the phrase into Slack.
Drama reduction
Clear roles reduce last-minute improvisation. The lab’s memo close rubric asks for open questions (“Who rotates dual control if someone leaves?”) instead of heroic narratives. Pair this with firmware provenance notes so power-on and phrase handling stay in one story.