Case studies on the impact of poor traceability in testing and measurement

Abstract

The importance of traceability for every measurement that is made cannot be over-emphasised. For calibration and testing laboratories, traceability is normally imported through calibration of the standards and equipment used in the laboratory. When this is done, the discussion can be closed. Obtaining a traceable calibration for standards and equipment can unfortunately lead to a false sense of security. What if the uncertainty assigned to the measurements performed on the standard is not small enough to satisfy the requirements of the subsequent measurements or tests? Are there any correction factors to be applied? Or is the certificate simply filed and forgotten? This paper investigates a few examples where poor traceability caused invalid tests and measurements to leave the door of accredited calibration and testing laboratories