After a breathalyzer has been calibrated with standard gas and the paperwork arrives, many people are unsure which document to submit to an agency. Especially when an audit, assessment, or contract requires submission, it is easy to assume that having a document about the standard gas means you also have the breathalyzer certificate. But the standard gas and the breathalyzer are different things being verified.
Standard gas is gas used as a reference for a set concentration value, and breathalyzer calibration is the work of using that reference to check what value a specific breathalyzer displays. So a standard gas certificate describes the value of the gas used as the reference, while a breathalyzer certificate describes the calibration result for the equipment you sent in. If the purpose of submission is "the result for that device," the certificate containing the device's identification information is the key document.
First distinguish what each document refers to
What you look at first in a standard gas certificate is the gas. The document may contain the gas supplied as the reference, information that identifies that gas, the reference value, and related conditions. This document can serve as evidence explaining what reference was used for calibration.
A breathalyzer certificate, by contrast, covers the breathalyzer actually sent in for calibration. Find the model name and serial number in the document and confirm that they match the device you intend to submit it for. Even breathalyzers of the same model are different devices if the serial numbers differ, so one device's certificate cannot be used as the result for another.
Calibration is described as the work of establishing the relationship between a reference and the values a breathalyzer displays. From this perspective, having a standard gas document does not automatically prove the displayed results of a specific breathalyzer. This is also why, when you read a breathalyzer certificate, you look at under what reference and conditions the result was obtained.
What a standard gas certificate shows
A standard gas certificate is a document for reading "what value is the reference used for calibration." The focus is on checking whether there is information identifying the gas, such as the cylinder or lot, and which gas the document is tied to. Even if the same type of standard gas is used in several calibration jobs, that document alone does not tell you what result each breathalyzer received.
If an agency also requests materials on the reference material, the standard gas certificate can be supporting material. However, rather than collecting lots of materials nobody asked for, it is more efficient to distinguish whether the wording of the request means the device's calibration result or also extends to information on the reference material. If the wording of the request is ambiguous, compare the requesting agency's guidance with the range of materials the certificate-issuing laboratory can provide.
Simply copying the standard gas certificate into a folder for each device number may not establish the link sufficiently. Recording the intake number or job date as well, so you can tell which reference material was checked in which calibration job, makes it easier to explain the purpose of the material later.
Items to check on a breathalyzer certificate
A breathalyzer certificate is a document for checking the calibration result of an individual device. First, check that the model name and serial number match the device you actually have. Then check that the date the calibration was performed and the results are recorded, which reduces the risk of linking the wrong document to the device you are about to submit for.
| Category | What to look at in a standard gas certificate | What to look at in a breathalyzer certificate |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | The gas used as the calibration reference | The breathalyzer sent in for calibration |
| Identification | Information distinguishing the gas, such as the cylinder or lot | Breathalyzer model name and serial number |
| Question the document answers | What is the value of the reference gas? | What is the calibration result for this device? |
| Main use | When information on the reference material is needed | When results for an individual device must be submitted |
Field names and layouts are not the same in every document. So rather than judging from the title "certificate" alone, read the identification information in the table and what the result refers to. If a breathalyzer certificate has no device serial number or one that differs from your device, it is better to ask the issuing laboratory, before submission, what device the document covers and whether it can be corrected.
The manufacturer's manual must also be distinguished from a breathalyzer certificate. A manual describes how to use the model and its general specifications; it is not a document recording the calibration result of one individual device. Submitting product specifications as if they were actual calibration results can mix up the purposes of the documents.
Before submission, choose materials to match the wording of the request
Let's take a hypothetical example. An equipment manager at a workplace is asked to prepare "breathalyzer certificates" ahead of an external assessment. The storage folder holds standard gas documents and certificates for several devices together, and the manager first notices that the standard gas document lists a reference value.
The fact observed here is that the standard gas document is about the gas, while the separate certificate lists the breathalyzer's serial number and results. Interpreting this, if the assessment request means certificates for individual breathalyzers, the latter is the primary material. A possible action is to compare the serial number of the device to be submitted with the device itself or the management ledger and pick the matching breathalyzer certificate.
The completion criterion is not just finding the file. You need to confirm that the model name and serial number on the certificate to be submitted match the device and that it fits the scope of documents requested. If the assessing body also requests standard gas materials, add them then, but store the two documents together with a clear distinction of what each one proves.
When storing, keep linking information rather than just document names
You may consider sorting electronic files by document type, such as "standard gas," "breathalyzer certificate," and "manual," and saving breathalyzer certificates so they can be found by device serial number and calibration date. If standard gas materials are linked to the intake number or job date of the relevant calibration job, it is easier later to trace which material relates to which job.
If, because a new reference document has been issued, you overwrite the files in past job folders with the new one, it may become hard to explain which material was used at the time. It is better to preserve past documents and manage new materials under a separate date. Where the link between documents is unclear, rather than writing in a relationship on your own, it is safer to keep the explanation or answer received from the issuing laboratory together with the file.
In the end, a standard gas certificate is a document about the reference gas, and a breathalyzer certificate is a document about a specific breathalyzer. If you are asked for a device's results, pick the breathalyzer certificate linked to the model name and serial number first, and treat reference gas materials as supporting material according to the scope of the request.
