us Environmental Protection Agency
*r0 Office of Pesticide Programs

^ J

pro^	SOP for Calibration and Maintenance

of Timers

Date Revised: 04-05-11


-------
SOP No. EQ-05-05
Date Revised 04-05-11
Page 1 of 5

Initiated By:

Technical Review:

QA Review:

Approved By:

EPA/OPP MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY
ESC, Ft. Meade, MD

Standard Operating Procedure
for

Calibration and Maintenance of Timers
SOP Number: EQ-05-05
Date Revised: 04-05-11

Print Name:

Print Name:

Technical Staff

Print Name:

QA Officer

Print Name:

Branch Chief

Date:

/ /

Date:

/ /

Date:

/ /

Date:

/ /

Effective Date:

/ /

Controlled Copy No.:

Withdrawn By:

Date: / /


-------
SOP No. EQ-05-05
Date Revised 04-05-11
Page 2 of 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents
Page Number

1.0 SCOPE AND APPLICATION	3

2.0 DEFINITIONS	3

3.0 HEALTH AND SAFETY	3

4.0 CAUTIONS	3

5.0 INTERFERENCES	3

6.0 PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS	3

7.0 SPECIAL APPARATUS AND MATERIALS	3

8.0 INSTRUMENT OR METHOD CALIBRATION	3

9.0 SAMPLE HANDLING AND STORAGE	3

10.0 PROCEDURE AND ANALYSIS	3

11.0 DATA ANALYSIS/CALCULATIONS	4

12.0 DATA MANAGEMENT/RECORDS MANAGEMENT	4

13.0 QUALITY CONTROL	4

14.0 NONCONFORMANCE AND CORRECTIVE ACTION	4

15.0 REFERENCES	4

16.0 FORMS AND DATA SHEETS	4


-------
SOP No. EQ-05-05
Date Revised 04-05-11
Page 3 of 5

1.0 SCOPE AND APPLICATION:

1.1 This protocol describes the calibration and maintenance of timers.
2.0 DEFINITIONS:

2.1	NIST = National Institute of Standards and Technology

2.2	ISO = International Organization for Standardization
3.0 HEALTH AND SAFETY: Not applicable

4.0 CAUTIONS: None

5.0 INTERFERENCES: None

6.0 PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS:

6.1 Personnel are required to be knowledgeable of the procedures in this SOP.

Documentation of training and familiarization with this SOP can be found in the
training file for each employee.

7.0 SPECIAL APPARATUS AND MATERIALS:

7.1 Timers are certified annually by an ISO 17025 accredited vendor. Refer to 16.1
for an inventory of timers requiring vendor calibration.

8.0 INSTRUMENT OR METHOD CALIBRATION: Not applicable

9.0 SAMPLE HANDLING AND STORAGE: Not applicable

10.0 PROCEDURE AND ANALYSIS:

10.1	Calibration of the timers, against NIST traceable standards, is performed annually
by an ISO 17025 accredited vendor.

10.2	If the vendor determines that a timer is out of tolerance and cannot be properly
calibrated, the timer will be replaced.

10.3	Follow the instructions, provided by the manufacturer, for the operation and


-------
SOP No. EQ-05-05
Date Revised 04-05-11
Page 4 of 5

cleaning of each timer (see ref. 15.1).

11.0 DATA ANALYSIS/CALCULATIONS: None
12.0 DATA MANAGEMENT/RECORDS MANAGEMENT:

12.1	The calibration certificates are filed and maintained in the Timer Calibration
Certificates notebook. The book is kept in a secured file cabinet in the file room
D217. Only authorized personnel have access to the secured files. Archived data
is subject to OPP's official retention schedule contained in SOP ADM-03,
Records and Archives.

12.2	An inventory of timers requiring vendor calibration will be maintained
electronically (refer to 16.1). After each addition to or deletion from the
inventory, a hard copy of the inventory will be filed in the Timer Calibration
Certificates notebook.

12.3	Timer instruction manuals will be filed in room C209.

13.0 QUALITY CONTROL:

13.1 Annual certification records are maintained, and for quality control purposes, the
certification information is documented on the appropriate form (see 16.1).

14.0 NONCONFORMANCE AND CORRECTIVE ACTION: None

15.0 REFERENCES:

15.1 Operation Manuals for Timers.

16.0 FORMS AND DATA SHEETS:

16.1 Timer Certification Record Form


-------
SOP No. EQ-05-05
Date Revised 04-05-11
Page 5 of 5

16.1

Timer Certification Record
OPP Microbiology Laboratory

Timer Number

Date Certified*

Next Certification Due on































































































































* Calibration certificates are archived in notebooks and can be found in Room D217 in secured file cabinets.


-------