Training Resource

Calibrate Instruments

Managing Agent: National Meat Industry Training Advisory Council (MINTRAC)

DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, TRAINING AND YOUTH AFFAIRS

Commonwealth of Australia 1998 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced without prior written permission. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be directed in the first instance to the First Assistant Secretary, Vocational Education and Training Division, Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, GPO Box 9880, ACT 2601. The work has been produced initially with the assistance of funding provided by the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs. However the views expressed in this version of the work do not necessarily represent the views of the Minister for Employment Education and Training or the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth does not give any warranty nor accept any liability in relation to the contents of this work.

First published 1998

Project Development Team

Project Manager: Writing Team: Instructional Design Team: Editing Team: Anne Jones Peter Carr, Peter Davies, David Gaulke, and Anne Jones Engelita Justine, Anne Petrie Allen Mutton

Acknowledgments
Industry partners, etc. Dennis Calabrese (Don Smallgoods), Karen Christenson (AMH), Charles Giarusso (Herds), Kylie Fothergill (Challenge Meats), Neil Lovett (SBA), Dave Matthews (AMH), Michael Murphy (Don Smallgoods), Greg Ure (Challenge Meats),

Source of Original Materials The training resources developed for the Meat Laboratory Stream have drawn on National Training Materials already published for the Laboratory Assistant Traineeship. The contribution of the project team that produced these materials is gratefully acknowledged. Material from Chemical Laboratory Techniques Resource Book produced by Box Hill Institute has been included with permission.

Disclaimer To the best of our knowledge the info rmation contained in this training resource is accurate and up to date. However we take no responsibility for the continuing accuracy and currency of the information.

Table of Contents
Section Page No.

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 LEARNING FOCUS 1 MAINTAIN CALIBRATION OF I NSTRUMENT 1.1 1.2 Instruments and equipment requiring calibration identified .......... 4 Calibration procedures identified according to Australian Standards, NATA or requirements, manufacturers or other regulatory or customer specifications ..................................... 5 Instruments calibrated according to manufacturers specifications and Australian Standards .......................................... 9 Sources of error in measurement identified ..................................14 Calibration procedures manual acceptable to regulatory requirements followed .......................................................................15 Correction procedures applied to products or processes when equipment is out of calibration ..............................................16

1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6

DELIVERY IDEAS FOR TRAINERS ..........................................................................17 ADDITIONAL WORKPLACE RESOURCES...............................................................19 BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................................................................21 SAMPLE RECORDS OF ASSESSMENT ...................................................................23

Calibrating Instruments

Introduction
This Training Resource is called Calibrate Instruments. This Training Resource is to be used in training for the Certificate III in Meat Processing (Meat Safety) and for the Certificate III in Meat Processing (Meat Laboratory). These Certificates are qualifications, which use the 1998 National Competency Standards for the Australian Meat Industry and the Industry Guidelines for Meat Processing. The following is a list of the competency units covered by this Training Resource. After completing this resource and successful assessment, you will be competent in:

Calibrating instruments

All Level 3 Training Resources emphasise the importance of Work Instructions, Quality Assurance and Hygiene and Sanitation.

Co/Pre-requisites
Sometimes there may be co/pre-requisites for certain Training Resources. You must have already completed, or be currently studying these. The co/pre-requisites for this Training Resource are:

maintain personal equipment apply basic hygiene and sanitation apply Quality Assurance (QA) practices follow safe work procedures and policies communicate in the workplace overview the meat industry

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

July 1998

Page 1

Calibrating Instruments

Before you start

Before you start, read the User's guide for Level 3 Meat Safety or Meat Laboratory (Certificate III is often called Level 3). This will explain more about the training. It also has a Glossary of words that you will use in your training.

Overview
This is typical of the flow of activities when calibrating instruments.

Identify instruments that must be calibrated Identify sources of calibration procedures Calibrate instruments correctly Record calibration records accurately

Page 2

July 1998

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

Calibrating Instruments

Learning Focus 1
Maintain calibration of instruments
This Learning Focus will help you learn how to calibrate instruments so that they measure accurately. On completion of this Learning Focus you will know how to:

identify instruments and equipment requiring calibration identify calibration procedures according to Australian Standards, NATA requirements, manufacturers or customer specifications calibrate instruments according to manufacturers specifications andAustralian Standards identify sources of error in measurements follow laboratory procedures manuals apply correction procedures to products or processes when equipment is out of calibration

Use the Notes to help you learn these skills. Your trainer will help you select activities that will give you opportunities to practice the skills needed to calibrate instruments.

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

July 1998

Page 3

Calibrating Instruments

Notes
The Notes are the main part of the Training Resource. They cover the information that you need to know.

1.1 Instruments and equipment requiring calibration identified

Instruments measure physical quantities such as temperature and weight. A plants operation relies on instruments. Cooked meats left in a chiller need to reach a certain temperature before they can be shipped. The pH of meat is checked before packaging. Instruments measure some part of the product or the production process. If the cold room thermometer reads 15C we expect that 15C is the real temperature. But instruments can be wrong. Probes can be damaged and batteries can go flat. Part of a laboratorys program is to check instruments to make sure they are accurate and precise. This process is known as calibration. Workers in abattoirs and smallgoods plants must calibrate a number of instruments. Those that are most commonly calibrated are: thermometers electronic balances pH meters and microwave ovens used for chemical lean determination

All instruments have a range of inputs they can accurately measure. For a thermometer this might be 0 to 110C. Electronic balances might have a range of 0 500g. Inputs above or below an instruments range cannot be measured accurately. If you operate outside an instruments range you may still get a reading but that reading will be wrong. If you use a spring balance with a range of 0 500g to measure a 1kg mass it will give you a reading slightly above 500g. You are also likely to damage the instrument. If the reading is not 500.0g the balance requires adjustment by a qualified repairer and full calibrations should be carried out.

Page 4

July 1998

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

Calibrating Instruments

1.2 Calibration procedures identified according to Australian Standards, NATA or requirements, manufacturers or other regulatory or customer specifications
Calibration methods are set by instrument manuals supplied by manufacturers the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) Australian Standards or customers

Standards Australia
Standards Australia is a public authorit y that sets standards for products and processes in industry. These are published as Australian Standards. Standards Australia has published one booklet that is useful for calibration in the Meat Industry. This is AA/SNZ HB86.1:1996, A guide to the selection, care, calibration and checking of measuring instruments in industry General principles

This Handbook is written for the users of measuring equipment in industry.

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

July 1998

Page 5

Calibrating Instruments

NATA
The National Association of Testing Authorities is a public authority that regulates and certifies the quality of all types of testing equipment and testing laboratories in Australia. NATA publishes instructions on how to look after testing equipment to make sure that the equipment gives accurate and consistent measurements. NATA has published three booklets called Technical Notes that give helpful advice on how to calibrate instruments used in the Meat Industry. These are: NATA Technical Note 21, Laboratory pH Meters calibration and electrode performance checks NATA Technical Note 13, User Checks of Balance Calibration NATA Technical Note 19, Liquid in Glass Thermometers selection, use and calibration checks

Manufacturers
Many manufacturers supply instruments with manuals that explain how to calibrate the instruments concerned. This is the case with instruments like laboratory thermometers. This is not so with instruments like microwave ovens that are for domestic rather than industrial purposes. If you have any questions about manufacturers specifications you should contact the manufacturer for help.

Customers Customers may rely on calibration methods specified by bodies like NATA. Sometimes they have their own requirements for calibration and these may be specified as part of a Quality Assurance Plan for a product. The methods you use will depend on your workplace. Usually a Quality Assurance Officer or similar person works out a calibration plan for the whole abattoir or smallgoods plant. This resource will use examples from NATA and Australian Standards. The methods used in your workplace may be different from these but the principles will be similar.

Page 6

July 1998

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

Calibrating Instruments

General Rules for Calibration

Most instrument manuals have calibration procedures. There are a number of methods commonly used for calibration: one-point calibration, two-point calibration and standards calibration. One-point calibration is a calibration based on only one calibration measurement. For example liquid in glass thermometers are usually calibrated by measuring the temperature of ice water slurry. Two-point calibration is calibration based on two measurements. These are usually taken at the lower and higher ends of the instruments range. pH meters are usually calibrated using at least two buffers or solutions of known pH. If you are using two-point calibration you should make sure that the standards you use are at the lower and higher ends of the measurement scale that you usually use. For example if you usually measure pH values of pH 2-5, then you should use standards that include the range pH 2 to pH 5. Standards of pH 1 and pH 13 would be okay. It would not be correct to use standards of pH 5 and pH 10. Standards calibration uses known standards as a basis for checking the calibration of an instrument. For example electronic balances are calibrated using masses of known weight. The measurement on the balance can be adjusted if it does not measure the weights accurately. The buffers of known pH used for calibrating pH meters are another example of a standard used in calibration. Calibration Curves are used if an ins trument cannot be adjusted or if its measurement output is in a different format from what is being measured. The calibration curve is a graph of the instruments input and output. For example, thermocouples are used to measure the temperature in ovens. The output from the thermocouples is in millivolts (mV). As the temperature (the input) rises the voltage from the thermocouple increases (the output). A calibration curve is prepared by measuring the thermocouples voltage output at a range of different temperatures. The thermocouple is attached to another temperature measuring instrument, such as the bulb of a liquid in glass thermometer. This makes sure they are both measuring the same temperature. The thermometer and thermocouple are then put in a beaker of water

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

July 1998

Page 7

Calibrating Instruments

By heating the water on a hot plate you can note the voltage reading of the thermocouple and the temperature reading of the thermometer at several points. Graphing these results will give a calibration curve similar to the one below.
Calibration Curve
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Voltage (mV)

Temperature (C)

Using this graph you can work out the temperature of the oven by measuring the voltage output of the thermocouple and finding which temperature it corresponds to. For example if the voltmeter reads 30mV the temperature is 20C.

Reference Instruments
We have looked at calibration using a known input. But in many situations we may not have accurate standards. We can also calibrate an instrument using a reference instrument. The reference instrument gives us a reliable output that we can compare to the output of the instrument being calibrated. Reference instruments can also be used to check our standards. Reference instruments are calibrated by NATA accredited laboratories or by the manufacturers. Reference instruments are only used for calibration purposes. Using reference instruments for other purposes may lead to changes that affect calibration.

Page 8

July 1998

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

Calibrating Instruments

1.3 Instruments calibrated according to manufacturers specifications and Australian Standards

In this section we take a detailed look at the calibration of instruments commonly calibrated in abattoirs or smallgoods plants. The calibration methods used will be based on NATA and Standards Australia methods. The instruments we will look at will be: liquid in glass thermometers electronic balances pH meters microwave ovens

Calibrating Temperature Measuring Devices

There is a range of thermometer designs. The most common are: liquid in glass thermometers spear digital

Liquid in glass thermometers

When a glass thermometer is made the glass is in a highly stressed state. This stress relaxes with time and the bulb contracts. Contraction is quite rapid at first but decreases with time. The change is known as the secular change. NATA recommends checking liquid in glass thermometers a minimum of every six months. Before calibrating a thermometer it should first be inspected for defects such as bubbles trapped in the bulb breaks in the liquid column uneven graduations and faults in markings

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

July 1998

Page 9

Calibrating Instruments

Having checked the thermometer is in good condition you are ready to calibrate. To calibrate the thermometer you need to provide an environment of known temperature. The best way of doing this, and the method specified by NATA, is to use ice point.

Water doesnt always boil at 100C

It is often assumed that water always boils at precisely 100C. This is not correct. The boiling point varies with air pressure, the purity of the water and the type of container its being boiled in. Depending on the accuracy required in your workplace boiling water may not be acceptable for calibration.

Ice point
The freezing temperature of water does not vary as much as its boiling point. A properly prepared ice-point can be reproduced to within 0.001C.

Method for calibrating temperature measuring devices

This is a typical method for calibrating temperature measuring devices. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Mix ice and water in a vacuum flask. Leave for 5 minutes. Up end the flask to mix. Insert thermometer to be calibrated and the reference thermometer. Make sure they are both well in the ice slurry. Swirl the mixture for 1 minute. After 3 minutes compare the thermometers. Note any variation between the thermometers and record it.

For a two point calibration you would repeat this process using boiling water. Make sure that both thermometer bulbs are close to each other and are away from the bottom and sides of the container.

Page 10

July 1998

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

Calibrating Instruments

Reference Thermometers
In addition to the thermometers used in the laboratory and in the plant every laboratory should have a reference thermometer. These are calibrated by NATA accredited laboratories and come with a calibration certificate. Reference thermometers are only used for calibrating other thermometers and should not be used for taking measurements on a day to day basis as this will quickly reduce their accuracy.

Electronic Balances
NATA requires that electronic balances are calibrated a minimum of every three years. A specialist company with NATA accreditation usually does this. NATA also requires laboratories to carry out the following in house checks. 1. Before each weighing the balance should be zeroed 2. Every month a single point check should be made using a known mass close to the maximum weight the balance can measure. 3. Every six months a repeatability check should be performed. This involves taking several measurements of the same mass or series of masses (for example 10g, 100g, 500g weighed one after another and repeated 10 times). Standard masses are very expensive and must be protected from damage, corrosion and grime. Even fingerprints can affect the accuracy. Standard masses should be periodically checked by a NATA certified calibration laboratory to make sure they remain accurate.

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

July 1998

Page 11

Calibrating Instruments

pH Meters
pH meters can be made inaccurate by: contamination of the buffer solution used for calibrating the instrument. The buffer solution is a mixture of chemicals that have a particular pH. This is usually pH 4, 7 or 10. They resist changes in pH and can be stored failure to set correct temperature. pH changes as the temperature changes. The correct temperature for operation of each pH meter should be noted mechanical damage to the electrode. The electrode is very delicate. Microscopic cracks can affect readings. Never touch it with a solid object

All pH meters should be calibrated according to the manufacturers instructions. Some meters have self check facilities this should be used if available. To calibrate: 1. set the temperature control, if available, to the correct temperature 2. immerse the electrode in a buffer solution of pH lower than the expected pH of the sample eg. pH 4 3. adjust the pH meter to match that of the buffer 4. rinse the electrode with distilled water 5. immerse the electrode in a buffer solution of pH higher than the expected pH of the sample eg. pH 10 6. adjust the pH meter to match that of the buffer 7. repeat the procedure until the meter reads correctly for both buffers without adjustment If the meter still to needs adjustment for each buffer, it may be damaged. It may require more complex calibration techniques such as adjusting the slope control (if present). You should read the manual.

Page 12

July 1998

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

Calibrating Instruments

Standardising Microwave Ovens for Chemical Lean Determination

Microwaves are used in the determination of chemical leans. Although we dont need to know the temperature of the oven it is important that its heat output is consistent and that the drying time is the same every time you dry similar samples. Microwaves used for determining chemical lean must have a digital timer. You want to be sure that each time the microwave is set on high it provides the same amount of heat. Over time the magnetron - the part in the microwave that produces microwaves - loses efficiency and gives out less heat for a given setting. Samples may not be completely dried and this will affect chemical lean calculations. Australian Meat Technology recommends working out the correct drying time for different sample types using a method described in Microwave Method for Chemical Lean Determination. The calibration method suggested in this publication is summarised below: load your normal prepared sample in the appropriate container use both the same mass and number of samples. For example if you normally test 3 x 20g samples at a time, use this for calibration. set the microwave on High for, say, 6 minutes allow the sample/s to cool then weigh them heat the samples on High for another minute re weigh if the second weighing has lost more weight the sample was not fully dry at 6 minutes. If this is the case repeat the test with a fresh sample. This time heat for 6minutes 30 seconds weigh and heat for a further minute. Repeat this procedure until there is no change in the first and second weights. if the first and second weights are the same in the first run you must work backwards, subtracting 30 seconds from each initial drying period. Do this until the first and second weighings are different. Over-drying can also lead to errors in chemical lean determination.

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

July 1998

Page 13

Calibrating Instruments

1.4 Sources of error in measurement identified Make sure that the conditions for calibration are always the same
The conditions calibration measurements are made under can affect the final reading. A good calibration set up should follow these guidelines. 1. The instrument should be in its normal position. This should be a stable clean area. You should minimise sources of error. For example dont calibrate thermometers in a draft or close to a heater. 2. The calibration input for a one point calibration should have a value similar to those usually measured with that instrument. 3. The instrument should be clean and in good working order. A layer of dirt or traces of the previous test can affect measurements. 4. There should be proper connections between probes and meters. Wires should be checked for fraying and connections should be clean. 5. Batteries, or other power source should provide the correct current/voltage. Rechargeable batteries often have a voltage slightly below that of nonrechargeable. For example, rechargeable AA batteries usually have a voltage of 1.25V rather than 1.5V. If you are using rechargeable check they are providing enough voltage for that instrument.

Be careful about accuracy

Accuracy is how close the reading on an instrument is to the true value. The calibration accuracy should be 3 to 10 times the accuracy required for the measurement. For example, if you wish to measure temperature to the nearest 0.1C, you should calibrate the temperature sensor to the nearest 0.01C to 0.03C.

Page 14

July 1998

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

Calibrating Instruments

1.5 Calibration procedures manual acceptable to regulatory requirements followed

Instruments should be calibrated regularly and accurately. In this resource book we have used calibration methods published by NATA, Standards Australia and the Meat Research Corporation. In an abattoir or a smallgoods plant it is a good idea to write your own calibration manual based on recognised procedures like the ones we have described. A plant calibration manual should only contain instructions for the calibration of instruments used in that plant. It provides a simple reference in one place so the employees dont have to search through several booklets to find the methods they need. Documentation of the calibration methods to be used in a plant is an important part of a quality assurance system. It may be necessary to write the instructions for the calibration procedures in simpler language than that used in the NATA and Standards Australia publications.

Documentation
Records need to be maintained for all instruments and all reference materials. All equipment that requires calibration must be uniquely identified. This can be done using code numbers that are permanently visible on the instrument. Equipment is labelled so each piece of equipment can be traced to its calibration history. If there is a problem with a product the equipment used in its production can be identified and checked.

Recording Calibration Results

Calibration results are recorded in the calibration log. Example equipment column identifies the specific instrument being calibrated, eg thermometer #2 calibrated thermometer column shows the reference thermometers reading the reading of the thermometer being calibrated reading is recorded in the reading column the difference between the two thermometer is recorded in the difference column corrective action may include servicing, labelling, or disposal

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

July 1998

Page 15

Calibrating Instruments

Date

Equipment

Calibrated thermometer 0C

Reading

Difference + or +0.5C

Corrective action Label attached to thermometer

2/5/98

Spear thermometer #3

0.5C

Results of calibration checks should be compared to previous in house calibration tests and the most recent calibration certificate. Any significant changes in the instruments calibration should be recorded and acted upon.

1.6 Correction procedures applied to products or processes when equipment is out of calibration
Your workplace Calibration Manual will tell you what to do if an instrument is out of calibration. Some instruments like electronic balances and pH meters must be adjusted so that they measure correctly. Others like microwave ovens and mercury thermometers cannot be adjusted. If an instrument is not accurate and cannot be adjusted the error should be recorded. Record it in the instrument log and attach a label to the instrument. If the difference is too big the instrument should not be used.

Page 16

July 1998

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

Calibrating Instruments

Delivery Ideas for Trainers

These are practical suggestions for the trainer to use. These activities will help your trainees understand what they need to know and what they need to do. Provide the students with a range of instrument manuals and have them locate the calibration instructions Demonstrate the calibration of an instrument commonly used in your workplace. Show the students the location of instrument logs and the format used to record calibration results. Show the student a NATA calibration certificate and explain the main sections. Below are several activities that learners can undertake in the workplace.

Identifying instruments and equipment requiring calibration

Your laboratory will contain a number of instruments that require calibration. In addition to these instruments there will also be apparatus that although not used for measuring still needs to be calibrated. Ovens and incubators, for example, need to be calibrated to ensure they are reaching the correct temperatures. In this activity you are asked to examine your laboratory and list the equipment that requires calibration. You should include:

how often each instrument is calibrated? how each instrument is calibrated? what reference instruments and/or standards are used?

Draw up a table with the following headings in a notebook and put your results in the following table. Instrument Name How often is it calibrated How is it calibrated

eg. Spear thermometer.

monthly

compared to reference thermometer

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

July 1998

Page 17

Calibrating Instruments

Calibrating temperature sensors

1. 2. Obtain a thermometer or temperature sensor commonly used in your workplace. Enter the details of the thermometer/temperature sensor in your logbook. Include the manufacturer, make, and model number. Ask your trainer/supervisor where the calibration instructions are located. Record the source in your logbook, for example are they in the instrument manual, the companys quality assurance plan, or customer requirements? Record the calibration procedure. Is it one or two point, do you use a reference thermometer? Perform the calibration and record the results

3.

4.

5.

Page 18

July 1998

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

Calibrating Instruments

Additional Workplace Resources

All Level 3 Training Resources emphasise how important Workplace Instructions, Quality Assurance and Hygiene and Sanitation are. To make this Training Resource relevant to your job/workplace, put copies of important workplace documents here.

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

July 1998

Page 19

Calibrating Instruments

Page 20

July 1998

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

Calibrating Instruments

Bibliography
The Bibliography is a list of references used to write the Training Resource. Australian Meat Technology Pty Ltd (1997) Microwave Method for Chemical lean Determination, available from Meat Research Corporation, see below. Laboratory Assistant Traineeship (1997) Sampling, Australian Training Products NATA Technical Note 21, Laboratory pH Meters Calibration and Electrode Performance Checks. NATA Technical Note 13, User Checks of Balance Calibration. NATA Technical Note 19, Liquid in glass Thermometers Selection, Use and Calibration Checks.

Standards Australia AA/SNZ HB86.1:1996, A guide to the selection, care, calibration and checking of measuring instruments in industry General principles

Additional help and advice is available from Australian Meat Technology Pty Ltd. Phone: Barry Johnson Peter Husband Bill Spooncer Dan Smith Chris Sentence (07) 3216 6222 (07) 3216 6222 Qld and NT (02) 4720 8503 NSW (03) 5664 8269 Vic. and Tas. (08) 8274 11500 SA and WA

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

July 1998

Page 21

Calibrating Instruments

Meat Research Corporation Meat Processing Team Christine Ra ward PO Box A498 Sydney South, NSW 2000 Phone (02) 9380 0639 Fax (02) 9380 0699

Page 22

July 1998

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

Calibrating Instruments

Sample Records of Assessment

On the following pages you will find samples of the assessment sheets that will be used to assess you. Reading these samples will help prepare you for assessment.

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

July 1998

Page 23

Calibrating Instruments

CERTIFICATE IN MEAT PROCESSING LEVEL 3

LABORATORY
Calibrate instruments
Trainer/Assessor: _________________________________________________________________________

RPL STATEMENT - This trainee has been granted RPL for this element.

Date: _____ / _____ /_____

TRAINEE DETAILS
Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________ ID Number: _____________ Department/Section/Company: ________________________________________________________________________________________

CALIBRATE INSTRUMENTS
Maintain calibration of instruments Instruments and equipment requiring calibration identified. Calibration procedures identified according to Australian Standards, NATA requirements manufacturers or other regulatory or customer specifications. Instruments calibrated according to manufacturers specifications and Australian Standards. Sources of error in measurements identified. Laboratory procedures manual acceptable to regulatory requirements followed. Correction procedures applied to products or processes when equipment is out of calibration.

Initials

Date

_____

_____ / _____ /_____

FORMS OF EVIDENCE that may be used for achieving competence through assessment
NOTE: A minimum of 3 forms of evidence is required to complete the assessment
Workplace observation Workplace activity/demonstration Presentation/written/oral including questioning Review of training records Interview/discussion and Learning Checkpoint Questions Referee report/workplace report review Work history review Other _______________________________________________________________ Initials _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ Date / _____ /_____ / _____ /_____ / _____ /_____ / _____ /_____ / _____ /_____ / _____ /_____ / _____ /_____

_____ / _____ /_____

ENDORSEMENT
Some units will have endorsements. These endorsements show that you have achieved competence in:

o Particular equipment/m achinery _______________________________________________________________________ o Particular species ____________________________________________________________________________________ o Particular dressing/killing technique ____________________________________________________________________
This trainee has been assessed to the standards identified above. Competence has been achieved. Assessor: ________________________________ _________________________________ Date: _____ / _____ /_____ Trainee: ________________________________________________ __________________ Date: _____ / _____ /_____

PLEASE RETAIN FOR ASSESSMENT RECORD

Page 24

July 1998

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

Calibrating Instruments

Pre-requisites
Apply OH&S and other regulations related to the laboratory Maintain laboratory facilities, equipment, materials Prepare solutions, stains, media Operate laboratory equipment and instruments Collect and prepare standard samples Perform qualitative and quantitative tests Process data and keep accurate records Contribute to the achievement of quality objectives related to the laboratory Maintain personal equipment Apply basic hygiene and sanitation practices Apply Quality Assurance practices Follow safe work policies and procedures Communicate in the workplace Overview the meat industry

Co-requisites

The following questions may assist the Assessor establish critical aspect and underpinning knowledge
Which instruments and equipment in your workplace require calibration? What calibration procedures are used in your workplace? Explain the sources of the calibration procedures used in your workplace, eg customer specifications, NATA requirements? Show how to calibrate pH meters and thermometers according to manufacturers specifications and Australian Standards? Identify sources of error in measurement and avoid making such errors? Explain how to use a procedures manual when calibrating instruments? Explain how to apply the necessary correction procedures to products or processes, when equipment is out of calibration?

ASSESSOR NOTES: (if required)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Australian National Training Authority Training Resource Material

July 1998

Page 25