Breathalysers play a crucial role in ensuring safe and responsible drinking on any night out and also in helping staff members of a workplace comply with alcohol safety policies while on duty. Regular breathalyser calibration is an essential aspect of maintaining the accuracy and reliability of breathalysers.
Here, we’ll discuss what happens during the calibration process, how often your unit should be calibrated, and other frequently asked questions surrounding breathalyser calibration.
What is breathalyser calibration?
Breathalyser calibration involves readjusting the breathalyser’s sensor to align with a known reference sample. This process helps maintain the device’s reliability to ensure consistent and accurate results.
Why is calibration important?
Breathalysers measure a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels by analysing a breath sample. Like all measuring devices, constant use will cause sensor drift, making the unit less accurate. Calibration ensures that breathalysers continue providing accurate BAC readings at all times.
How often should I calibrate my breathalyser?
Calibration frequency is dependent on the type, model and manufacturer of the breathalyser. Andatech and AlcoSense breathalysers require calibration every six months or after a certain test count, depending on the unit. Regular calibration of your Andatech or AlcoSense breathalyser will see the initial warranty of your unit extended to a lifetime guarantee.
LEARN MORE: The Andatech Guarantee
How can I tell if my breathalyser needs calibration?
Andatech would advise calibrating your unit every six months to ensure accuracy at all times. However, the unit may need to be calibrated sooner if it frequently displays inconsistent and inaccurate readings. If this persists, contact your manufacturer to ensure that the problem is not one of a faulty unit.
Can I calibrate a breathalyser by myself?
Calibrating a breathalyser typically requires a professional expert from a qualified technician at an authorised service centre. These centres and technicians will possess the necessary tools and equipment to perform accurate calibration.
Technicians at Andatech are highly qualified with years of experience calibrating breathalysers. The Andatech calibration centre in Melbourne has been NATA accredited, ensuring all breathalysers calibrated at this centre are highly accurate.
How much does breathalyser calibration cost?
The cost of calibration will differ from one manufacturer to the next. However, at Andatech, a one-off calibration of your Andatech and AlcoSense units will cost $90 and $45, respectively. Andatech also offers calibration management plans of two calibrations every one, three or five years, depending on your selected plan.
By subscribing to these calibration management plans, users will receive reminder emails, calibration certificates, fresh batteries, and new mouthpieces and can also save over $100 on calibration fees.
Is calibration a legal requirement?
While calibration is not a legal requirement, it’s important to note that inaccurate breath alcohol readings could potentially have legal consequences at the workplace. False positives can result in a damaged reputation, slowed work procedures and, in extreme cases, loss of employment. With that being said, for professional use and law enforcement purposes, calibration is often mandatory to meet legal standards to ensure evidential accuracy.
Conclusion
Breathalyser calibration is a critical process that ensures accurate and reliable readings. Regular calibration helps maintain the integrity of breathalysers, whether for personal or professional use. By comprehending the importance of this process and adhering to the manufacturer-recommended calibration intervals, you can depend on your breathalyser to display accurate results, promote responsible alcohol consumption, enhance road safety and help you make informed decisions when drinking.
For more information on breathalyser calibration, reach out to the Andatech support team for more information or visit the support page for more FAQs.
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Browse through Andatech’s wide range of industrial breathalysers and personal breathalysers to find the right unit to suit your needs. You can also explore Andatech breathalyser calibration plans for hassle-free calibration made easy.
