Permitting the use of standards and apparatus past their recertification date

COVID-19 public health measures have impacted Measurement Canada's (MC) ability to provide calibration services. To support authorized service providers (ASPs) and allow them to continue delivering examination and verification services, MC will permit certain local standards and apparatus that have passed their recertification date to continue to be used for examinations and verifications under certain circumstances.

Weights greater than 5 kg calibrated in MC district offices

These weights may be used for examinations up to 2 months past their recertification date, with the permission from the signatory of their certificate of designation. ASPs must contact the signatory to receive this permission before the weights' recertification date and prior to using them past their recertification date.

Local standards of volume

Volumetric provers calibrated in MC district offices

These standards may be used for examinations up to 3 months past their recertification date, with permission from the signatory of their certificate of designation. ASPs must contact the signatory to receive this permission prior to using these standards past their recertification date and for any other questions concerning the use of these volumetric provers.

Measuring apparatus located in meter shops

For measuring apparatus such as test consoles and gas measuring equipment located in ASP meter testing facilities, requests for extensions of certificates of calibration will be considered on a case-by-case basis taking into account previous years' calibration data and other technical information on the apparatus, historical performance of the apparatus, etc. ASPs should contact their MC designated auditor for further information and guidance.

ASPs should also contact their MC designated auditor in cases where there is a need to:

  • expand the scope of a measuring apparatus' certificate of calibration due to a request to increase the scope of the ASP's recognition under S-A-01; or
  • certify a measuring apparatus (e.g. test console) due to a purchase or move of a measuring apparatus.

All other standards

ASPs must complete the Request to Use Standards Past Their Recertification Date and submit it to MC's Engineering and Laboratory Services Directorate (ic.mcacsl-mclsae.ic@canada.ca) to receive permission to use the following gas mixtures, standards and apparatus past their recertification date:

  • bell provers
  • direct-read thermometers (exceptions apply)
  • flow meters
  • high accuracy thermometers
  • manufactured natural gas mixtures
  • open neck provers calibrated at MC's laboratory in Ottawa
  • reference meter provers
  • standards other than RD type, or RD type standards that are more than 7 years old

MC must have carried out a minimum of 2 calibration cycles of the following standards for them to be considered:

  • direct-read thermometers
  • high accuracy thermometers
  • open neck provers
  • Radian standards
  • reference meter provers

MC will determine on a case-by-case basis, taking into account previous years' calibration data and other technical information on the standard or apparatus, whether to allow the standards or apparatus to be used for examinations or verifications past their recertification date and for how long.

Conditions of use

Local standards and apparatus that meet the above criteria (types of standards, number of calibration cycles) may only be used for an examination or a verification under the following conditions:

  • All reasonable means to ensure the examinations and verifications are completed using standards or apparatus that are within their certification period must have been taken.
  • All required seals on the standard or apparatus must remain intact.
  • Any apparent damage to the standard or apparatus must have been considered at the time of calibration, and the standard must not have been modified in any way (e.g., painting, refurbishing).
  • The results of monitoring (e.g. ice-point tests) must remain within the applicable limits of error.
  • All examinations and verifications performed using standards or apparatus whose recertification date has passed must be annotated on the certificate.
  • ASPs must keep a register of all standards and apparatus whose recertification date has passed that were used for an examination or a verification.

MC may request photographs of standards or apparatus used past their recertification date to confirm their condition and the integrity of their seals.

Upon receipt of standards and apparatus for recalibration, a verification of all seals and the "as-found" values may be completed. Should a standard or apparatus be outside the applicable limits of error or have broken seals, this must be reported to the ASP's MC contact. Devices examined or verified with those standards may require recertification or re-examination. Further review of the examinations or verifications performed with standards or apparatus past their certification date could be undertaken.

MC will re-evaluate the above measures should it be unable to provide calibrations services for a significant period.