|
 |
A-2 Rev. 1 Mass standards used by authorized service providers
To access any of the PDF document included in this page, please use this free Adobe Acrobat Reader as needed. If you encounter any difficulty in accessing the content on this or any other page please contact us for assistance.
Date: 2004-05-03
Bulletin: A-2-E Rev. 1
Category: Accreditation
Document(s): Criteria for the Accreditation of Organizations to Perform Inspections Pursuant to the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act and the
Weights and Measures Act (S-A-01:2002); Weights and Measures Act and Regulations; Registration Program Terms and Conditions. Supersedes A-2-E and all previous documentation on this issue.
Subject: Mass standards used by authorized service providers
1.0 Purpose
The purpose of this bulletin is to provide instructions for authorized service providers and organizations that have applied for accreditation or registration regarding the selection of mass standards and preparation of mass standards for submission to Measurement Canada for calibration, certification and designation as local standards.
This bulletin applies to weights used by authorized service providers to inspect weighing machines pursuant to the clauses of the agreement signed by the organization and Measurement Canada.
2.0 Mass Standards of 5 kg or more (10 lb or more) (Usually cast iron or fabricated weights)
Mass standards of 5 kg / 10 lb or more must meet all requirements including requirements relating to construction set out in the Measurement Canada manual “RP-01 FIELD: Calibration Procedures for Standards of Mass" and the accuracy requirements set out in Schedule IV to the . It is recommended that organizations submit for acceptance any new weight design to the local Measurement Canada Regional Gravimetric Specialist prior to purchasing or fabricating it.
Mass standards must be calibrated at least at intervals prescribed by the Weights and Measures Regulations. Before being submitted for calibration, they must be cleaned and prepared in accordance with the procedure described in the manual “RP-01 FIELD: Calibration Procedures for Standards of Mass” Calibration is done in the regions by personnel from one of Measurement Canada’s District Offices. District Offices not equipped with mass comparators of appropriate capacity or/and division shall refer the authorized service providers to the nearest Measurement Canada’s District Office equipped for calibration services. Mass standards which deviate from the nominal value (error) by more than two-thirds of the prescribed limit of error will be adjusted as close as possible to the nominal value. The purpose of this provision is to ensure that, during the certification period, the error of mass standards does not exceed the limit of error prescribed in the Weights and Measures Regulations.
3.0 Sets of mass standards of 5 kg / 10 lb or less (Inspector’s Weight Kits)
Sets of mass standards that meet International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) Class M1 requirements are suitable for the inspection of Class III, III HD and IIII weighing devices. It must be noted that inspections of Class II weighing devices (precious metal scales) require mass standards that meet OIML Class F2 accuracy requirements, or better; however, this device class is not open to the authorized services providers at the present time. Please consult Measurement Canada’s Regional Gravimetric Specialist for advice on the selection of mass standards as there may be other limitations related to nmax (maximum number of verification scale intervals).
Mass standards must meet all Measurement Canada requirements, including the accuracy requirements set out in Schedule IV to the Weights and Measures Regulations. Weights equal to or less than 5 kg / 10 lb that are part of a set of inspector weights shall be made of stainless steel or other material sufficiently resistant to corrosion and oxidation that the surface need not be protected or coated. All weights belonging to an inspector weight kit shall be submitted for calibration at the same time. If a standard has an adjusting cavity, the cavity must be sealed. The standard must be sufficiently hard and watertight; must have a satisfactory finish; must have appropriate markings and appearance; and must be enclosed in a protective container. Regarding the selection of materials other than stainless steel or any other matter relating to mass standards, it is strongly recommended that organizations consult the Calibration Services Laboratory of Measurement Canada.
The Calibration Services Laboratory issues certificates for mass standards which do not deviate from the nominal value (error) by more than one-half the limit of error prescribed in Schedule IV to the Weights and Measures Regulations. Mass standards with an error exceeding one-half the prescribed limit of error will have to be adjusted as close as possible to the nominal value. The purpose of this provision is to ensure that, during the certification period, the error of mass standards does not exceed the limit of error prescribed in the Weights and Measures Regulations.
Mass standards must be calibrated at least at intervals prescribed by the Weights and Measures Regulations. They must be submitted to the Calibration Services Laboratory, Standards Building, Tunney’s Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0C9, and must be accompanied by a correctly completed Form IC2611BB v1.1.
4.0 General
The weight sets (commonly called inspector’s weight kits) shall be kept in a case comprising of appropriate compartments for each individual weight of a series. The interior of the case shall be such that the weight is protected against any wear, abrasion or shock that may be encountered during transportation. All weights from a weight set must be kept in the same case.
In order to link weight sets to calibration certificates or verification documents, all weight sets shall be identified, by the applicant if not already done by the manufacturer, by a unique serial number that consists of signs, numbers or letters. All cases belonging to the same weight set must display the same serial number. Each weight of 1 gram and more, that is part of a set, shall be identified with a unique serial number not exceeding 5 characters, which shall not be reused nor reassigned.
The number of standards submitted for calibration must be commensurate with the expected inspection workload of the organization and only those standards used to perform work on behalf of Measurement Canada will be certified by Measurement Canada.
Authorized service providers requiring many weight sets or weights to be calibrated by Measurement Canada Calibration Service Laboratory or a District Office should contact the appropriate office before hand to make arrangements.
Authorized service providers are responsible at all times for the condition of their mass standards. Before submitting them for calibration, authorized service providers must ensure that they are clean and in good condition. If required, they must be cleaned in accordance with the procedure described in CP-MA-SOP-001-e (attached) for mass standards of 5 kg / 10 lb or less (section 3 above), and in accordance with the manual “RP-01 FIELD: Calibration Procedures for Standards of Mass “ for the mass standards discussed in section 2.0 above. Depending on the condition or cleanliness of the standards, Measurement Canada may elect to clean the mass standards or return them to the authorized service provider.
Pursuant to the Weights and Measures Regulations, a fee can be charged for cleaning mass standards. Shipping and handling are at the expense of the authorized service provider.
To ascertain the condition of mass standards, Measurement Canada may require that a standard be calibrated in mid-cycle and determine its mass “as found”. Such inspections can be used to determine whether an authorized service provider is maintaining its mass standards in satisfactory condition. Where required, Measurement Canada personnel must ensure that the calibration request indicates that the laboratory or district must determine the mass “as found” (before cleaning).
5.0 Revision
The purpose of this revision is:
- to remove the note on page 1 regarding the availability of the "Calibration Procedures for Standards of Mass" manual; this manual is now available on line;
- to clarify section 3 regarding requiremenets for weights equal to or less thatn 5 kg / 10 lb contained in a weight kit;
- to remove the reference to the Engineering Division as direct contact;
- to inform on the number of standards acceptable for calibration; and
- to correct editorial errors.
6.0 Additional Information
For additional information regarding this bulletin, please contact Mr. Alain Casademont, Program Officer - Innovative Services Directorate. The copy of this document located on the Measurement Canada web site is considered to be the controlled copy.
Sonia Roussy
Vice President - Innovative Services Directorate
Measurement Canada
Calibration Services Laboratory - Technical Manual
Cleaning Procedure for Inspectors Weight Kits
Document number: MC-MA-SOP-001 1
Revision: 0
Filename: mc-ma-sop-001.wpd 2
1 In the document number, use the following two letters to describe the laboratory for which the procedure has been created:
EL Electricity
FL Flow
GA Gas analysis
LI Linear
MA Mass
PR Pressure
TE Temperature
VO Volume
Also, in the same numbering system, use “SOP” when the procedure is a standard operating procedure or “CP” when it is a calibration procedure.
2 When you save your document, give the procedure number as filename and “wpd” as extension to this filename. Do not save your document as a template with the extension “wpt”.
Document Title : Cleaning Procedure for Inspectors Weight Kits
Document number : CP-MA-SOP-001
Revision no. : 00
Rev. date : 23-08-01
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Purpose
1.2 Scope
1.3 Applicable Documents
2.0 Responsibilities
3.0 Procedure
3.1 Equipment required
3.2 Environmental requirements
3.3 Safety requirements
3.4 Instructions
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this procedure is to provide instructions for the cleaning of inspectors weights kit, weight OIML class F.
1.2 Scope
This procedure applies to inspectors weight kits and OIML class F weights, which are used to inspect devices for weighing commodities other than precious metals: ranging from 5 kg to 1 g and 10 lbs to 1/16th of an ounce. Their tolerance is as per Weights and Measures Regulations Schedule IV, Part III and Part IV.
1.3 Applicable Documents
- Calibration Standard Laboratory Mass Section Recommended Practices, Section RP-01 (1.6.3), Field section 2
- Material Safety Data Sheet
2.0 Responsibilities
For weight kit owned by Measurement Canada, it is the responsibility of the calibration technologist to ensure proper cleaning of the kits.
For weight kit not owned by Measurement Canada, it is the responsibility of the kit owner to ensure proper cleaning of the kits.
3.0 Procedure
3.1 Equipment required
- Steel Wool type "00"
- Lint Free tissue
- Chamois
- 95% Ethyl Alcohol, Denatured CH3CH2OH
- Vacuum Cleaner
3.2 Environmental requirements
A room with proper ventilation is required.
3.3 Safety requirements
3.3.1 Potential Hazards in the laboratory include:
- Foot injury from dropping cases and weights
- Lifting hazards
- Exposure to airborne dust (ie. Potentially containing iron and lead)
- Exposure to Ethyl Alcohol
3.3.2 Safety measures include:
- Safe lifting course
- Safety footwear
- Dust mask
- Protective glove
- Splash-proof safety goggles
3.4 Instructions
Prior calibration of weights:
- Remove grit and dirt from weight by rubbing with steel wool of type “00". If the weight is only dusty use a lint free wiper to remove dust.
- If the weight is contaminated with oil or grease, use a chamois leather that has been soaked in a solution of 95% Ethyl Alcohol.
- Remove any dust and contaminant from the carrying case with the use of a vacuum cleaner.
|
Measurement Canada
