CALIBRATION (International Standard ISO 17025)

8b. Procedure for handling, storage and transport of equipment.

EQUIPMENT

Moisture
Analyzer
(Sartorius MA 30,
Q00-STR-01 MB
03)

Toploading
Balance
(Mettler PB 15025
Q00-DVR-04DM01)

Frequency
of
Calibration

Calibration Procedure

Handling

Storage

- Do not expose to extreme temperatures, moisture, shocks,

vibrations or strong airflow.
- The mesh on the hood must be remained uncovered.
Annually

Annually

(operating manual p. 25)

(MSL Training Manual

pp. 2-7,
Source:
http://www.msl.irl.cri.nz/sites/all/files/tr
aining-manuals/tg25-december22010.pdf)

Cleaning/Maintenance:
- Use a moist cloth with a mild detergent instead of strong
cleaning agents and make sure to prevent entry of liquid.
- Wipe with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth

Storage Temp.: -40C+70C

-40 C158 C

Transport

- It is recommended that all parts

of the original packaging should
be kept for future purposes and to
protect them against damage
during transport (Radwag, 2014).
- Cables and any loose or
movable parts such as weighing
pan, shields, inserts must be
removed
before
packing
(Radwag, 2014).

- The weighing pan and the bottom plate should be washed

or cleaned after working with chemicals.
- Corrosive substances should not be allowed to be exposed
on the chrome steel for a long period of time.
- Remember to calibrate the equipment before and after
cleaning to establish the loss in mass.
Storage/Transportation Temperature: 10 - 40 C (50 - 104F).
Cleaning/Maintenance:
- Cleaning agents that contain strong solvents and
ingredients must not be used because these may cause
damage to the terminal overlay.
-Do not allow any liquid to come in contact with the balances
or AC adapter.
-The balance or AC adapter should never be opened.

 Analytical
Balance
(Mettler Toledo
Q00-MLR-12WS01)

Annually

(operating manual p. 15)

- Balances should be checked every day using standard

certified weights (Nielsen, 1996).
- Balances should be located far from vibrations, airflow,
temperature and humidity changes (Haven et al, 2013).
- The balances accuracy and cleanliness should be
regularly checked (Haven et al, 2013).
Storage Temp.: -40 F / -40 C to
- Place on a firm, vibration-free position as level as possible.
158 F / 70 C at 10% to 80%
- The equipment should not be located in places with direct
relative humidity, non-condensing.
sunlight, extreme changes in temperature and strong airflow.
Cleaning/Maintenance:
- Commercially available cleaning agents may be used for
cleaning.
- Damp cloth must be used when cleaning AG balances

pH Meter
(Denver pH Meter
Q00-DVR-04DM01)

- During calibration, buffers of pH 7, 10 and 4 are used.

- Rinse electrodes with distilled water before and after
measuring a sample. Blot the end of the electrode with lintfree paper to remove excess water.
- Never wipe the electrode to remove excess water - wiping
can create static charges that interfere with correct pH
measurement.
Annually

(operating manual p. 4)

Cleaning/Maintenance:
- For general cleaning, soak the pH electrode in 0.1 M HCl
or 0.1 M HNO3 for 20 minutes. Rinse well in tap water before
use.
- For removal of oil and grease, rinse the pH electrode in
mild detergent or methyl alcohol. Wash in water before use.
- After any of the cleaning procedures, it is good practice to
thoroughly rinse the pH electrode with deionised water, drain and
refill the reference chamber if necessary before use.

The sensor should never be

stored dry. Always keep pH
electrode moist. Proper pH
electrode
storage
maximizes
electrode
performance
and
extends electrode life. It is best to
store
electrodes
in
clean
containers filled with pH storage
solution, EC-RE005. Do not store
an electrode in distilled or
deionised water - this will cause
ions to leach out of the glass bulb
and render your electrode useless
Electrode Storage:
- The electrode must be stored in
its wetting cap that contains
electrode fill solution (3M KCl
22.37 g KCl + 100mL dH2O)
- The electrode must not be
stored in deionized water or buffer
because
it
can
encourage
diffusion out of the electrode,
which will affect its sensitivity.

- When changing locations, the

top draft shield door must be
opened and the balance must be
held at the near guide frame
OR
- The front part beneath the
display and the back part under
the balance housing must be held
to safely change its location.

During shipment it is possible for

air bubbles to move into the glass
bulb. To remove air bubbles,
shake down the electrode in the
same manner as a clinical
thermometer until the glass bulb
is filled with solution.

 Refractometer
(Atago Master
Refractometer
Q00-ANR-030S102)

Viscometer
(Rheology
Viscometer Q00RVR-08-SI01)

Every 2
years

Every 2
years

(operating manual, p. 7)

- Always wipe the solvent sample off of the prism when

finished reading and allow the components to fully dry.
- Refractometers are not waterproof, so do not rinse them
with water.
- Do not drop or mishandle the refractometer.
- Do not scratch the prism
- Do not try to read organic solvents (paint thinner, benzene,
etc.)
- Keep oil off of the prism. The fluid will bead and give poor
results.

From time to time, the bearings will

need to be changed. Complete the
following to
determine if it is time to perform this
maintenance procedure:
1. The viscometer should have a zero
dial reading when placed in an upright
position with the sleeve not immersed
in fluid prior to running tests.
2. With the instrument in this position,
rotate the sleeve at 600 RPM. The dial
reading in air should not exceed one.
3. Place water in a suitable container
and immerse the rotor sleeve to the fill
line.
4. Rotate the sleeve at 600 RPM. The
dial reading in water should be
between 1.5 and 3.0.
5. At 300 RPM, the dial reading in
water should be between 0.5 and 2.0.

- Do not drop or severely at the Instrument even if the

spindle connector is quite strong.
- Do not invert the instrument with a fluid coated spindle
attached.
- Avoid exposing the Viscometer to temperatures greater
than 40C
- Avoid applying side or down thrust to the spindle
connector. The pivot point can be damaged by rough
treatment.
- After attaching the spindle, and before commencing
operations, check if the pivot is correctly seated by gently
changing the spindle manually.

The refractometer is an optical

instrument that requires careful
handling and storage. Failure to
do so can result in damage to the
optical components and its basic
structure. Failure to clean the
prism on a regular basis will lead
to inaccurate results and damage
to the prism's coating.

At or below an altitude of 2,000 m

(6,562 ft)
- In temperatures between 5 and
40C
- With a maximum relative
humidity of 80% for temperatures
up to 31C

- To avoid transit damage such

as broken prism or wrong
readings, keep the device stored
in its original packaging.

- Use a plastic film to protect the

LSD display.
- During transit, always keep the
equipment upright.

 Thickness Gauge
(Mitutoyo
thickness gauge
Q00-DVR-04DM01)

Fumehood
(Kotterman
Fumehood Q00FHR-13-SI01)

Annually

Annually

1. If the dial thickness gage has flat

anvils, as most of them do, make sure
they lie parallel when closed.
2. Clean the anvils with alcohol as
needed. The easy way to check this is
to hold them up to a light and look for
gaps. If there are no obvious gaps
then set the dial to zero.
3. At this point, insert a calibrated
- The dial indicator case, stem, spindle, and contact point
gauge block between the anvils and
are to be examined for burrs and sharp edges.
check the dial reading several times.
- The dial face is to be examined for clarity of graduations.
You should not be off by more than
one graduation. If it's off, then make
sure the block is lying flat and properly
seated. Also make sure that the anvils
and the gage blockare very, very
clean. 4. It stands to reason that if the
anvils are not parallel, you'll get a
different reading on one side of the
anvils. Use the gage block to test for
this possibility.
N/A
Many fume hoods are equipped with flat or rounded sills or
air foils which direct the
flow of air smoothly across the work surface. Sills should
not be removed or modified
by the hood user.
Limit chemical storage in fume hoods
Do not use the hood as a storage area.
A fume hood should not be used for waste disposal.
Substitute with less hazardous or less volatile chemicals
where possible.
Do not leave uncapped bottles of reagents in a hood.
The hood should be kept closed, except during apparatus
set-up or when working
within the hood is necessary.
Maintenance:
Fume hoods should be certified, at least annually, to ensure
they are operating safely.

- Dial thickness gauge are to be stored in a suitable box or case when

not in use or during transit.

Locate
hoods
to
avoid
crosscurrents at the hood face
due to pedestrian traffic, doors
and supply air diffusers. Sufficient
laboratory supply air must be
available to allow hoods to
operate at their specified face
velocities.

Most
fumehoods
can
be
transported unassembled for
convenience especially if it will be
installed in a laboratory (ESCO,
2009).

In case of exhaust system failure while using a hood, shut

off all services and accessories
and lower the sash completely. Leave the area immediately

Hot Plate

N/A

N/A

- When using hot plates and other electrical equipment,

ensure the wire and plugs are in good condition.
- Remove spills immediately because these may cause
damage that may lead to thermal failure.
- Do not heat volatile materials.
- Do not use insulating materials such as foil, metal,
fiberglass pads on top of the unit.
Cleaning/Maintenance:
- Keep the top plate clean by using a non-abrasive cleaner.
- Do not immerse unit during cleaning.
- Immediately replace a damaged top plate.

References:
Brookefield (2009).
ESCO (2009).
Haven, (2013).
Nielsen, (1996).
Undefined. (2014).

Storage/Transport Temperature: 0-40 C

Maximum relative humidity 80% for temperatures up to 31C
decreasing linearly to 50% relative humidity at 40C