Calibration Procedure

Procedure no:

Document no.: 02 Document type:

Calibration Procedure

Issue No: 01 Issue date: Amend. no: -Amend. Date: -Page No: 1 of 5

Objective:

To establish a procedure & program for calibration of equipments used by Assurance Engineering (AE) To ensure that calibrations and measurements made by the laboratory are traceable to the international system of units.

References:

ISO/IEC 17025: 2005, clause 5.5 & 5.6 ISO 9001:2000, clause 7.6

Responsibilities:

Manager - test lab Engineer - test lab

General Definitions: Calibration:

Comparing an instrument’s performance to a standard of known accuracy.

Traceability:

It is an unbroken chain of calibrations or comparisons linking them to relevant primary standards of SI units of measurement.

Physical Laboratory

ISO 17025:2005 certified Laboratories

Traceability

LM Test laboratory

WHY, WHO and WHEN requires calibration? WHY ?

To ensure quality and customer satisfaction and to meet the requirements of ISO 17025:2005.

WHO ?

All the equipment used for testing, including equipment for subsidiary measurements (e.g., for environmental environmental conditions) having significant effect on the accuracy or validity of the result.

WHEN ?

On a scheduled time or when ever any nonconformance is observed or if in the instrument misbehaves or new instrument before putting into service.

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Specific Requirements: Laboratory shall ensure that instruments used for testing are calibrated at and the designated intervals. Test lab has the annual established calibration program for the lab instruments same is available as an annexure 1. The established calibration programe is determined by the length of time the equipment should maintain its accuracy and perform its intended function. These intervals are established and modified as necessary. All the instruments used in the laboratory are directly traceable to national / international standards. Laboratory of LM is committed to maintain this traceability. If in future it happens that for any instrument such traceability is not applicable then the laboratory shall provide suitable documentary evidence of methods used for assessing the correctness and validity of such documents /standards. The laboratory ensures that the units used for testing are SI units. In future if laboratory feels that some units can not be made in SI then in those cases, laboratory will establish traceability to appropriate measurement standards such as a. b.

The use of certified reference material provided by competent supplier. Use of specified method or consensus standards agreed upon by all parties concerned.

If required, the laboratory will participate in inter-laboratory proficiency testing programs. Procedure: Periodical Calibration: 1

Every month check the annual calibration plan which is available in the form of list with calibration staus available as an annexure 1

2

Identify the instrument that requires calibration in that particular month. Plan for one month in advance, so that instrument does not go out of calibration status.

3

Identify the competent laboratory (which fulfills the requirements of ISO 17025:2005) who has the facility to calibrate the instrument. Refer annexure 2 for list of accredited labs

Note:

When using external calibration services, traceability of measurement shall be assured by the use of calibration services from the laboratories that can demonstrate competence, measurement capability and traceability. Calibration certificate bearing an accreditation body logo from a calibration laboratory accredited to this standard is sufficient evidence of competence & traceability.

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4

Evaluate the vendor for its capability and statutory requirements to perform the calibration. Refer format no: for evaluating the vendor.

5

Communicate the list of instruments to the respective identified laboratory and reconfirm the capability to perform the calibration. Based on that take a quotation and time slot required to calibrate the instruments from the laboratory to perform the task.

6

Know the capability of the laboratory to perform the calibration at site and at lab facility, so that the instruments which cannot be sent outside would be calibrated at LM lab.

7

Before sending the instrument outside the lab for calibration, ensure the physical condition and working condition of the instrument is good.

8

Pack the instrument carefully so that it does not break or damage during transit.

9

Prepare all the documents that is necessary to transit the instruments for calibration.

10

Ensure the proper condition of instrument once it is submitted for calibration. Get acknowledgement from the laboratory for safe submission of instruments.

11

Once the instrument is received after calibration check for its physical and working condition at the time of receipt and at lab.

12

Manager of the lab reviews the calibration certificate of the instrument to satisfy the conditions mentioned in the format for review of certificate to meet the requirements of ISO 17025:2005.

13

Calibration certificates issued by these laboratories shall contain the measurement results, including the measurement uncertainty and a statement of compliance with an identified metrological specification.

14

Graph or chart should be plotted to show the correction factor that must be applied to the indicated reading to obtain the actual value. Calibration record should be made available to the user which contains, calibration date, next calibration date, accuracy, calibration data along with the graph/chart.

15

All the instruments that are calibrated shall be labeled, indentified to indicate the status of calibration, including the date of last calibrated and the date of expiry of calibration. If the instrument is small enough to paste the label, then a plain tagg can be used to indicate the above. Ensure that the old labels are removed.

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16

If the instrument goes outside the direct control of the laboratory, the laboratory shall ensure that the function and calibration status of the instrument are checked before the equipment is returned to service.

17

Instrument after calibration should be safeguarded from adjustments which would invalidate the calibration results and then place the instrument for use.

18

After calibration store and handle the instrument in a controlled environmental condition so that it will not adversely affects the calibration at to protect from damage and deterioration during handling, storage and maintenance.

19

If the calibration is not done within the due date, then instruct the users not to use the instrument until it is calibrated and make sure that "Not calibrated" label is affixed. In the same way if the instrument is not in working condition or malfunctining, then "do not use" label should be affixed.

Intermediate checks: These checks needed to maintain confidence in the calibration status of instruments used in the laboratory. These shall be carried out according to the defined procedures No: and schedules. Refer annexure 3 for schedule. If any non conformances are observed during intermediate checks, it is recommended to send it for recalibration.

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Procedure no:

Document no.: 02 Issue No: 01

Document type:

Issue date:


Amend. no: -Amend. Date: -Page No: 5 of 5 Flowchart: A

B

Check annual cal plan

prepare the necessary docs to send the inst out from lab

Identify the inst

Submit the instrument at lab & ensure working condition of inst during submission

Identify the ISO 17025 certified lab check for working condition once it is received after calibration

identfy the flaw

Manager of the lab reviews the certificate to meet the requirements of ISO 17025

No

Evaluate the vendor for its capability

send the list to identified lab yes

Know the capability of the lab to perform at site & at lab

ensure working condition of inst before submission

is the instrument OK?

yes

All the instruments that are calibrated should be labeled suitably

get the instrument corrected

Safeguard from adjustments after calibration before placing it for use

No Store it in a controlled environmental condition in an authentic manner

Ensure good packing

Do Intermediate checks where ever required - as per plan

B

A

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Format no: Document type:

Calibration Frequency

Annexure 1 Sl No

Instrument

Make

Sl no

Id no

Calibration frequency

Intermediate check frequency

Reference standard


Calibration Log

Annexure 1 Sl No

Prepared by

Instrument

Make

Sl no

Id no

Issue by

Calibrated at

Cal date

Next Due

Location

Authorised by


List of certified calibration labs

Annexure 2 Sl No

Prepared by

Company name

Parameter accredited for

Issue by

Accredited by

Accreditation certificate No.

Authorised by


Intermediate checks plan

Annexure 3 Sl No

Instrument

Make

Sl no

Id no

Intermediate check Plan

Check Annual Calibration Plan

Identify the instrument

Identify the competent Lab who calibrates the above instruments

Vendor Evaluation

Get the quotation from vendor

Check for working condition of instrument before sending

is the instrument OK?

get the instrument corrected

No

yes

pack the instrument carefully along with necessary documents

Submit the instrument to the lab

Ensure working condition of instrument during submission and get acknowledgement

Ensure the completion & good condition - collect the instrument

Manager reviews the calibration certicate to satisfy the requirements of 17025

yes

Place the instrument for use

No

identfy the flaw

Calibration Procedure

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