1. Understand the Inspection Tool: Before calibrating an inspection tool, it is important to understand its design and operating principles. This knowledge will help you identify potential issues, as well as help determine the appropriate calibration procedure.
2. Use Standards: Standards are essential for the calibration of inspection tools. They provide a known reference and allow you to determine the accuracy and precision of your measurements. It is important to use standards that are traceable to national or international standards.
3. Regular Calibration: Inspection tools should be calibrated at regular intervals to ensure that they are operating within their specified tolerance limits. The frequency of calibration depends on the type of tool, the environment in which it is used, and the level of accuracy required.
4. Document Calibration Results: It is important to document the calibration results, including the date, the person performing the calibration, the standard(s) used, and the results.
5. Consider Environmental Factors: Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and vibration can affect the performance of inspection tools. It is important to consider these factors when calibrating or using the tools, and to correct for any potential errors caused by environmental factors.
6. Train the Users: Regular training of the user of the tool is important to ensure that they are using the tool correctly, and that they understand how to interpret and use the measurement results.Use
7. Quality Control Procedures: Quality control procedures such as statistical process control (SPC) can be used to monitor the performance of inspection tools over time and to identify any trends or patterns that may indicate the need for repair or replacement.

 
Proper calibration of inspection tools is essential for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of measurement results. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your inspection tools are operating within their specified tolerance limits and that the measurements taken are accurate and repeatable.
​
For more information on how Accupoint Software can help streamline your calibration process, please  contact us today to discuss your requirements. 

Regardless of the industry you work in, calibration is one of those things you simply cannot overlook. Inspection equipment needs to function reliably and accurately. Calibration ensures consistency and is a requirement of quality management standards across the globe. In this week’s blog will examine four key steps to ensure that your organization is ready for your next audit.

1. Educate your employees- Education includes topics such as proper use, care, maintenance, and of course, procedures. In order to ensure that you properly follow all procedures, continual training is vital. Make procedures visible, frequently remind staff through email alerts or in person sessions, the importance of the calibration process, signs to look for, and what to do when you suspect equipment is out of calibration.
2. Documentation is your friend - Good record-keeping practices benefit you in two ways: you will be prepared for any audits that may come your way, as well as reminding you when calibration dates are coming up. Proper documentation should include any information pertinent to your equipment. This includes, but is not limited to, accidents, malfunctions, part replacements, servicing, etc. A good set of records should be easy to reference and can save you time and money in the long run. 
3. Maintain all equipment - While it may be tempting to continue to use equipment past required calibration intervals, this should be avoided at all costs. These intervals and any calibration earmarks exist for a reason. Operating past these deadlines opens up unnecessary liability.
4. Invest in calibration management software - The right software can handle all of the above steps, except for actually calibrating the equipment.  Choose a system that uses best industry practices, digitally maintains all applicable records, and sends reminders on upcoming calibration requirements.

The Calibration process does not have to be time consuming. With the right systems in place, you will be prepared for any audit, as well as have the peace of mind that comes with protecting yourself from liability. For more information on how Accupoint Software can help simplify the calibration process, contact us today.

Safety is essential to the petroleum field operation.
 
The importance of collecting and analyzing large amounts of data and providing solutions or recommendations based on that data is essential to the oil and gas industry. Accurate analysis is a make or break scenario for field crews and managers alike. Software that automates inspections of existing equipment and throughput while alerting key employees to problems that may arise is the first line of defense for a streamlined oil and gas operation.
 
Oil and Gas: Risky Heavy Industry.
 
The oil and gas industry has to meet stringent federal and state strictures to operate. Environmental, safety and social aspects of field operations cannot be ignored. The regulations can be convoluted in their complexity. Software applications that monitor all aspects of a drilling venture or transfer station simplify all processes while meeting regulatory criteria effortlessly. Even if you don't know how often you should be checking your release valve, the compliance software will, and can perform that task automatically.
 
Safety inspections are the backbone of a field operation.
 
Without them you can be shut down. Whether the shut-down is triggered by an independent inspection that fails, or a faulty mechanism that went unnoticed, the costs associated with a work stoppage are enormous. When you use inspection compliance software you are providing a vanguard against the possibility of failed inspections or machinery. Every aspect of your operation will be monitored and analyzed. Developing problems can be corrected before they turn into a disaster. Inspections can be scheduled according to your circumstances.
 
Software flexibility, a long-term solution.
 
No one wants to pay thousands for inspection compliance software only to have it become outdated within a few months. Regulatory mandates can change overnight; your inspection compliance software needs to respond to those changes just as quickly. Software with a built-in protocol for shifting and adding data blocks effortlessly solves the problem of the ever-changing regulatory atmosphere for the operator. When you can diversify and streamline your software to fit changing needs, you have a flexible application that works with your operation.
 
The four most important tasks of automated inspection software:

1. Manage all the data and information in a high performance operation seamlessly. Analyze that data and pass information on to key people
2. Perform automated inspections of the entire operation or a specific component of it based on the client’s needs. Generate full reports of these inspections.
3. Be flexible enough to meet compliance standards and regulations that change constantly. The need to reconfigure inspection software in the field is continuous, make sure to choose inspections software that has a flexibility feature.
4. Mitigate risk. By applying inspection software to your operation, you reduce risk one thousand fold. Because these solutions are so inclusive and exhaustive in their data collection and analysis, potentially dangerous problems are caught well before they manifest.

 
Get the help you need.
 
The petroleum industry is filled with complexity and regulatory oversight. Not to mention the dangers associated with field operations. Attempting to run your inspections without the help of compliance software is a one way ticket to failure. When you are ready for more information please contact us.

Whether prepping for an audit, updating your company processes with new best practice information, or simply checking up on employee training, gage calibration (or lack thereof) should be taken seriously. Lack of compliance, regardless of which standards is being applied, can bankrupt a company. Gage calibration best practices really consist of 2 main parts, which should be checked periodically:

• Calibration certificates-Bureaucratic red tape gets a bad rap, but keeping important files and paperwork in order can save a lot of time and hassle. A monthly check of calibration certificates can alert you to bring in any gage from the field that needs calibrated ahead of its expiration date. 
  

• Employee Training. When employees do not know how to properly operate equipment, problems arise. Misuse of gages can cause them to no longer be in calibration. It can lead to incorrect readings, damage due to not taking the environment into consideration when applicable, or even cause accidents to happen. In the event of an accident, employees should feel comfortable reporting inaccurate, damaged, or otherwise malfunctioning gages to the proper authority.

Of course, keeping on top of gage calibration can be tedious, and easily lost among other, more pressing issues. Having one system set in place that can handle all compliance management efforts streamlines the process and makes it easier for the whole company, as otherwise compliance efforts get split among different individuals and departments. This inevitably leads to something getting lost in translation, or through the cracks. For the best compliance management solutions that optimize your business practices while improving customer satisfaction, contact us today.