I see far too many people grabbing scanners and doing general job setup for free. This thread is an excellent example of why you don't work until you are punched in and being paid for time.
It irks me, but there's nothing I can do. Their attitude is that it's only a few cents, and they would rather spend the shift with equipment that works.
Personally, I think if there are no working scanners by the time I need to setup, that's the company's problem and not mine. If they want me to use it, they need to provide it. It's that simple.