Bump Check vs. Calibration

The #1 question people ask us is “How often should I calibrate my gas meter”? The short answer is monthly or when the sensors are not reading accurately. Accuracy of the sensors is determined during a function test of the instrument. Read on for a more detailed explanation or click here to view our products that will help you with instrument maintenance. OSHA states that you should follow the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding operation and calibration of your confined space monitor. Manufacturer’s recommend that you perform a function test before each day’s use. A function test ensures that the components of the meter work properly like the lights, alarms and display. Part of the function test is a bump check of the sensors. A bump check is simply exposing the meter to gas in real-time run mode so you can watch the sensors react and go into alarm. The bump check not only confirms the meter is working properly; it raises the confidence of the user because they physically see the meter working properly. So imaging that you apply a known concentration of gas and your gas meter reads perfectly. A calibration wouldn’t be necessary. However, if the reading is inconsistent with the gas you would adjust the accuracy of the sensors through the calibration function of the meter.

Therefore a Bump Check is an accuracy test and a Calibration is an accuracy adjustment.

The manufacturer’s also state that the minimum calibration frequency should be monthly. The reason for this is simply for record keeping. Most gas meters have a time stamp of the last calibration. Even if a bump check shows that the sensors are reading accurately, a monthly calibration updates the time stamp so that during an audit, either by your company or by OSHA, it’s clear that you are performing the proper maintenance on the equipment.

Bump Check and Calibration Systems

Gas detection instruments are our specialty. More importantly, helping our customers to use and maintain them properly is our passion. So we’ve created two systems to help you perform Bump Checks and Calibrations.

• The first is our Bump Check Station. It is a portable case that includes the cylinder (or cylinders) of gas equipped with a demand flow regulator and a laminated instruction card listing the steps necessary to perform a “bump check”. By using a Demand Flow Regulator, all you have to do is attach the sample line from the Bump Check Station to your meter to sample the gas and function test the sensors. Click here to see the full details of our Bump Check Station.
• The second product is our Portable Transport Case with PTC2 Technology™. PTC2 Technology™ provides pass-thru charging and pass-thru calibration. The PTC2 Case will help you solve the two biggest issues concerning gas detection instruments; keeping them charged and calibrated. With four sizes of PTC2 Cases, you can store just one meter or up to 16 meters. Click here to view our entire selection of Portable Transport Cases with PTC2 Technology™.

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