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Calibration Frequency - Portable Gas Monitors Ever wonder how often your instruments should be calibrated?
The question on when to calibrate comes up all the time. OSHA recommends that you should follow the manufacture's recommendations on calibration cycles but you should always "bump check" or "calibration check" the meter before each days use.
Bump checking is connecting a bottle of gas up to the meter and letting the gas rise high or low enough to trigger the alarms. A calibration check is connecting a calibration bottle with a known concentration to the meter and running the gas until the values stabilize out. You will pass this test if the readings are within the tolerance of the meters specifications. Usually this is 10% but check the manual for your specific meter. A full calibration is using a calibration bottle with a known concentration that is NIST certified and not expired to adjust the meter's sensors values to match the bottle concentrations. A bump check is quick and easy to make sure the meter is not dead. The calibration check is longer and uses the same amount of gas as a full calibration. Our rule of thumb for all portable gas meters is to calibrate the meter and document once a month and bump or cal check daily or before you use the meter. |