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It's certainly a good question. I have the same equipment as Lyndsey and send it away every year for its annual calibration and checks and used to ask the same question as Lyndsey. I use a 3 litre syringe to calibrate internally but the company I use also uses a 3 litre syringe and sends me the recordings on the results on a nice certificate - a couple of times I have had the leads replaced. With the audio they use an acoustic coupler and record sound pressure levels, this is something I don't do I tend to use my own ears. The old HSE MS guidance on Audiometric Programmes recommends calibration every two years with frequent listening checks in between, however this was written in the days before the computer driven equipment we are discussing here. The BSA (I have attached the doc) seem to recommend three different levels of calibration and checks for pure tone audiometry - it states
CALIBRATION
For reliable test results, it is essential that audiometers are regularly calibrated in accordance with BS EN 60645-1 (IEC 60645-1) and the relevant BS EN ISO 389 (ISO 389) series standards.
So here's the thing, when I was inspected by the HSE a few years ago the first thing they asked to see was calibration records including those by an external company. I could produce them so no problem but what I don't know is whether if I had only provided them with internal calibration records whether that would have been enough. I also take the view that I am travelling around to different sites, equipment is therefore being lugged around and regardless of how careful I am there is wear and tear that I haven't on occasion picked up - this is where I have to trust the external company when they tell me a lead needs replacing or on one occasion new cups were necessary on my audiometer headset.
I think it is ingrained into our psychy, and is in every HS policy that I have ever seen, that annual calibration is necessary so I think it is an interesting question and would welcome any of the providers of this calibration (I know that some of you are subscribers) to help us understand more.
Regards
Karen
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lindsey Hall
Sent: 09 March 2015 08:26
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [OCC-HEALTH] Calibration of Equiptment
Hi All
I would be interested in others view on this, particularly anyone from the companies that carry out these services. "It either works or it doesn't" is what someone said to me a while ago when discussing a particular piece of kit and I sometimes wonder whether our consciences have led us to calibrate that which doesn't really need it.
Thanks
Lindsey
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lyndsey Marchant
Sent: 08 March 2015 11:01
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [OCC-HEALTH] Calibration of Equiptment
Hello all and thank you for your replies so far.... I just wanted to clarify my question...
I am totally aware of the need to calibrate and the reason this question has come about is because I want to make sure I do things "right". My main question was what can the companies do to calibrate the USB versions of our equipment. In the "old days" it was easy, hitch up a simulator and off you go, but now a usb audio is only a headset and a computer program, and the technicians at the hospital that I employed to do the calibration were at a loss as to what to test / do.....
My question really was, how can people calibrate a computer program... some companies charge £150 per item... and if this is just a visual check for leads and so on and they cannot physically calibrate the tones etc, then why pay the money? I would rather pay the £50 per hour that my local hospital technicians charge ( no matter how many items they check).
I can see the need to check a spiro as there are more parts that can go wrong, but again I was told that as long as I was doing my own checks on a regular basis ( self testing and using a 1 or 3 litre syringe) then this would be sufficient.. so what would the individual who was doing the calibration do differently.
Warm Regards
Lyndsey
Lyndsey Marchant Dip HERN(A), BA SCPHN(OH)
Director & Nurse Specialist Practitioner in Occupational Health
PHOENIX OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Ltd
Address: Genesis Centre, North Staffs Business Park, Innovation Way, Stoke on Trent, ST6 4BF
Phone: 01782 366215 / 07966255139
www.phoenixoh.com
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-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ruth Carswell
Sent: 06 March 2015 20:49
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [OCC-HEALTH] Calibration of Equiptment
Calibration us necessary and needs to be done to ensure your equipment is working within the guidelines. This is especially important if you do medicals for Railway workers as they ask for evidence your equipment is checked regularly on the annual audits. The audios can sometimes need tweaking to ensure they are recording within frequency ranges as they can alter Ideally you should do at least weekly checks on equipment yourself as best practice. Alcometers if you use them need 6 monthly calbrations
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