GEN-08—Calibration and tolerance testing of standards not owned by Measurement Canada

The copy of this document located on Measurement Canada's website is considered to be the controlled copy.

Category: General
Issue Date:
Effective Date:
Revision number: 7
Supersedes: GEN-08 (rev. 6)

Table of contents

1.0 Purpose

The purpose of this bulletin is to outline when Measurement Canada (MC) performs calibrations or tolerance testing of standards it does not own and when such services are provided by other laboratories. It also outlines whether fees and charges apply to the calibration services provided by MC.

2.0 Scope

This bulletin applies to the calibration and tolerance testing of standards defined under the Weights and Measures Act. It does not apply to standards or measuring apparatus used in the electricity and gas measurement disciplines.

Measurement Canada's policy on the calibration and tolerance testing of standards owned by authorized service providers (ASPs) and used to conduct inspections (examinations) pursuant to the Act is set forth in bulletin A-2.

3.0 References

4.0 Definitions

Device
(instrument)
Any weight, weighing machine, static measure or measuring machine that is subject to the Weights and Measures Act (e.g. fuel dispensers, vehicle scales, retail computing scales).
Examination
(examen)
The evaluation of a device, either by a Measurement Canada inspector or a recognized technician, to determine its compliance with the requirements of the Weights and Measures Act and its related regulations.
Local standard
(étalon local)
A standard designated as a local standard by the Minister under section 13 of the Weights and Measures Act, calibrated and certified in relation to a reference standard as accurate within prescribed tolerances and used for device examinations.
Recognized technician
(technicien reconnu)
An individual employed by an authorized service provider whose competencies have been successfully assessed and who is recognized by Measurement Canada to examine devices and to submit examination data and results for the issuance of device examination certificates pursuant to the Weights and Measures Act.
Standard
(étalon)
A material measure, measuring instrument, reference material or measuring system intended to define, realize, conserve or reproduce a unit or one or more values of a quantity to serve as a reference (e.g. 20 kg cast-iron test weight, 500 L open neck prover, digital thermometer).

5.0 Background

Historically, MC has provided standards calibration and tolerance testing services to a wide range of clients with little to no consideration as to the intended use of their standards. Due to limited availability of resources, MC now only performs the calibration and tolerance testing of standards used for device examinations (local standards).

Only in very specific cases will MC perform the calibration and tolerance testing of standards that are not used for the examination of devices. All standards that are not used as local standards must be shipped to another laboratory for calibration and tolerance testing.

6.0 Policy

Measurement Canada inspectors, Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) inspectors and recognized technicians must use local standards to examine devices to be used in trade. These local standards must be calibrated and tolerance tested by an MC laboratory or an MC-recognized laboratory.

On receipt of a request for the calibration, tolerance testing and designation of a local standard that is not owned by MC, the standard is classified in one of the following four categories:

  1. A local standard not owned by an ASP and used by an MC inspector, a CGC inspector or a recognized technician to conduct examinations of devices to be used in trade or for any part of the examination process (see section 6.1);
  2. A local standard owned by an ASP and to be used to conduct examinations of devices to be used in trade or for any part of the examination process (see section 6.2);
  3. A local standard not owned by an ASP and to be used to calibrate other standards (see section 6.3);
  4. A standard to be used to test or adjust devices not requiring an examination (see section 6.4).

6.1 Local standards not owned by an authorized service provider and used for device examinations

Measurement Canada may perform the calibration, tolerance testing and designation of local standards that are not owned by an ASP if they are used for device examinations and have an individual capacity of:

  • 5 kg or greater, in the case of mass local standards;
  • 5 L or greater, in the case of portable volumetric local standards;
  • 20 L or greater, in the case of fixed volumetric local standards.

No fees or charges apply for these calibration and adjustment services, regardless of whether the local standard is being initially certified or recertified. If necessary, a local standard may be recertified before the end of the certification period.

6.1.1 Local standards retained in one location and used exclusively to examine a discontinuous totalizing weighing system at that location

Item 2 of the table in subsection 56(1) of the Weights and Measures Regulations determines a maximum five-year period between calibrations and certifications of certain local standards retained in one location and used exclusively to examine a weighing system at that location.

In an effort to be efficient and to reduce burdens not related to metrological requirements, MC interprets this five-year period as not being limited to discontinuous totalizing weighing systems. Although these local standards are generally weights dedicated to a discontinuous totalizing weighing system, there are similar applications where the system can be a tank scale, a bale scale, etc. Whether or not the device is a discontinuous totalizing weighing system, what's relevant is that the weights are dedicated to a weighing system, used exclusively to examine this system and protected from excessive wear and other environmental influences when not in use.

The local standards of these systems are generally difficult to access. For this reason, the nominal value of these local standards must be equal to or greater than 50 kg or 100 lb. Any local standard with a lower nominal value is not subject to the specific constraints of heavy and bulky local standards housed in places that are difficult to access. There would therefore be no justification for the certification period to exceed one year.

6.2 Local standards owned by an authorized service provider and used for device examinations

Measurement Canada may perform the calibration, tolerance testing and designation of local standards that are owned by an ASP and used to examine devices to be used in trade.

All local standards owned by ASPs and calibrated by MC must meet the requirements outlined in bulletin A-2.

No fees or charges apply for these calibration and adjustment services, regardless of whether the local standard is being initially certified or recertified. If necessary, a local standard may be recertified before the end of the certification period.

6.3 Local standards not owned by an authorized service provider and to be used to calibrate other standards

Measurement Canada may perform the calibration, tolerance testing and designation of local standards that are not owned by an ASP and to be used for the calibration, tolerance testing and designation of other standards.

The owner of these local standards can use them for the calibration or tolerance testing of standards.

In very specific situations, these local standards can be used to perform device examinations.

Fees and charges apply to these services in accordance with paragraph 59(1)(c) of the Weights and Measures Regulations.

6.4 Standards used to test or adjust devices that do not require an examination

Clients requesting the calibration or tolerance testing of standards that are used only to test or adjust devices are to be referred to a private laboratory recognized under the National Research Council Canada's (NRC) Calibration Laboratory Assessment Service (CLAS) program or to any laboratory offering calibration services. Only in very specific situations will MC calibrate these types of standards.

6.4.1 Standards to be sent to a private laboratory

Standards to be sent to a CLAS-certified laboratory or other private laboratory offering calibration services include, but are not limited to:

  • weights used within the parameters of quality control programs;
  • standards used by laboratories;
  • gauge blocks, stopwatches, graduated cylinders, test tubes, density meters, viscosity meters and other devices used as standards by industry for non-trade applications.

Refer to the NRC's directory of accredited calibration laboratories.

6.4.2 Standards owned and used by government organizations

Measurement Canada may calibrate standards owned and used by a federal or provincial government organization for the adjustment or testing of devices used for the enforcement of other laws and regulations.

Fees and charges apply to this service in accordance with paragraph 59(1)(c) of the Weights and Measures Regulations, except when there is a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the organization and MC.

6.4.3 Standards that cannot be calibrated elsewhere

MC laboratories may calibrate standards that are not owned by the government and not intended to be used for device examinations. Calibration will only be done when it has been proven that it's impossible to calibrate the standards anywhere else and that traceability to a local standard is justified.

Calibration service requests for this subcategory of standards are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the appointed Director, Approval and Calibration Services Laboratory, or Manager, Centre of Expertise.

Fees and charges apply to these services in accordance with paragraph 59(1)(c) of the Weights and Measures Regulations.

7.0 Revisions

The purpose of revision 7 was to:

  • add a new category and subcategories of standards that may be calibrated by MC;
  • clarify the current categories listed in section 6.0 (formerly 5.0);
  • reduce the nominal value of heavy and bulky local standards from 100 kg to 50 kg in subsection 6.1.1 (formerly 5.1.1);
  • reformat the document according to new formatting requirements and update the section numbering; and
  • make minor editorial changes.

The purpose of revision 6 (2015) was to:

  • clarify that MC will no longer provide calibration and tolerance testing services of standards that are not directly used for examinations;
  • add definitions;
  • modify sections 5.0 Background and 6.0 Policy;
  • remove the interpretation section and include all relevant content in section 5.0;
  • add a new subsection 5.1.1 regarding local standards kept in one area and used to examine certain devices in that area only; and
  • make minor editorial changes.

The purpose of revision 5 (2013) was to:

  • remove the requirements of ASP-owned standards used for inspections from this bulletin;
  • rename the document and clarify subsection 6.1.1; and
  • make minor editorial changes.

The purpose of revision 4 (2011) was to:

  • remove the exemption whereby fees could be charged when a standard was calibrated or tested within its certification period;
  • clarify that, with the exception of organizations subject to former subsection 5.1.1 and at a manager's discretion, fees and charges will be applied where the standards are used by someone other than an inspector or a recognized technician to adjust devices that are used in trade;
  • change the capacity of mass standards from 10 kg to 5 kg to be in line with bulletin A-2;
  • add a reference to bulletin A-2; and
  • make minor editorial changes to include recognized technicians in the same context as inspectors.

The purpose of revision 3 (2008) was to:

  • update the bulletin format;
  • renumber sections; and
  • make minor revisions to the text in an effort to simplify requirements regarding the calibration or tolerance testing of industry standards (PBRI2008).

The purpose of revision 2 (2001) was to:

  • rewrite the policy into bulletin format;
  • make minor editorial changes; and
  • change the title to Calibration or Tolerance Testing of Industry Standards.

The purpose of revision 1 (1999) was to:

  • outline when MC inspectors should be carrying out calibrations or tolerance testing of industry standards and when such services should be carried out by private laboratories;
  • clarify when fees and charges are to be applied;
  • reissue the document as a GEN-02 policy update and change the title to Calibration of Industry Standards.
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