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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 Traceability

Laboratories

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 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. The use of certified reference material provided by competent supplier.

b. 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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Flowchart:
A B

prepare the necessary docs

Check annual cal plan
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 identfy the flaw
calibration

Evaluate the vendor for

its capability
Manager of the lab reviews
the certificate to meet the No
requirements of ISO 17025
send the list to identified
lab
yes

Know the capability of

All the instruments that are
the lab to perform at site
calibrated should be labeled
& at lab
suitably

ensure working condition get the instrument Safeguard from adjustments

of inst before submission corrected after calibration before
placing it for use

is the instrument OK? No

Store it in a controlled
environmental condition in an
authentic manner
yes

Do Intermediate checks
Ensure good packing where ever required - as per
plan

B A

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 Format no:
Document type:
Calibration Frequency

Annexure 1

Calibration Intermediate check Reference

Sl No Instrument Make Sl no Id no
frequency frequency standard
 Format no:
Document type:
Calibration Log

Annexure 1

Sl No Instrument Make Sl no Id no Calibrated at Cal date Next Due Location

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 Format no:
Document type:
List of certified calibration labs

Annexure 2
Parameter Accreditation
Sl No Company name Accredited by
accredited for certificate No.

Prepared by Issue by Authorised by

 Format no:
Document type:
Intermediate checks plan

Annexure 3
Intermediate
Sl No Instrument Make Sl no Id no
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 get the instrument corrected
before sending

is the instrument OK? 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 No identfy the flaw
the requirements of 17025

yes

Place the instrument for

use