20. Technical Equipment. Archived. This section applies to all equipment used in forensic examinations, such as

Transcription

1 Instruments and Equipment Introduction 5.5. Authorization to use technical equipment Use of instruments and equipment Instruction and maintenance manuals Use of nonlaboratory equipment 5.5. This section applies to all equipment used in forensic examinations, such as major instruments including associated computer hardware and software microscopes balances pipettes titrators dispensors. The grants authority for each analyst to use technical equipment in forensic examinations that are relevant to the analyst s discipline or subdiscipline. The s authorization is included on each analyst s Competency Test Report or Annual Proficiency Test Report. Instruments and equipment are intended for official laboratory business only, unless approval from a supervisor is obtained for other uses. Up to date instructions on the use and maintenance of equipment, including relevant manuals provided by the manufacturer of the equipment, shall be readily available for use by appropriate laboratory personnel. In cases where an analyst needs to use technical equipment outside the laboratory s permanent control, the analyst and unit supervisor must ensure that the requirements of the laboratory s Management System are met. Continued on next page Page of 8 All printed copies are uncontrolled. This document printed on 7/7/205

2 Instruments and Equipment, Continued Equipment identification Equipment records Whenever practical, instruments and other technical equipment that are significant to the test result must be uniquely identified. Records must be maintained for each instrument or other technical equipment item, including software, when it is significant to the test result. Records must include at least the following: Identification of the instrument or technical equipment and its software Manufacturer, type identification, serial number or other unique identification Notes stating the equipment demonstrate proper functioning prior to being placed into or returned to service When appropriate, the current location of equipment Manufacturer s instructions, if available, or reference to their location Dates, results and copies of reports and certificates of all calibrations, adjustments, acceptance criteria and the due date of next calibration Maintenance plan, if appropriate, and maintenance carried out to date Any damage, malfunction, modification, or repair to the equipment. Page 2 of 8 All printed copies are uncontrolled. This document printed on 7/7/205

3 Maintenance and Calibration of Technical Equipment Introduction Calibration procedures Balance maintenance and calibration All technical equipment that has an effect on the accuracy and precision of a test method or procedure will be properly maintained and appropriately calibrated before use. To ensure proper functioning of instruments and equipment, the laboratory has maintenance agreements for the servicing of the following: major instruments including associated computer hardware and software microscopes balances pipettes. Calibration procedures, where applicable, will be included in each laboratory unit s technical procedures manuals and must contain at a minimum: Measuring criteria for deciding if a calibration is successful Stated frequencies for calibrations. Balances and pipettes are calibrated by an outside vendor. Balances are maintained and calibrated annually by an ISO 7025 accredited calibration laboratory. A list of serviced balances is located in the Administrative Services Officer s files. Additional logs are kept in the laboratories in which the balances are used Calibrated balances must be labeled indicating Calibration status Date of calibration Date of recalibration (or expiration criteria) Each laboratory unit that performs intermediate calibration checks of balances must follow the procedure described in the unit s technical procedures manual. Continued on next page Page 3 of 8 All printed copies are uncontrolled. This document printed on 7/7/205

4 Maintenance and Calibration of Technical Equipment, Continued Pipette maintenance and calibration The laboratory pipettes will be maintained and calibrated annually by an ISO 7025 accredited calibration laboratory. Calibrated pipettes must be labeled indicating Calibration status Date of calibration Date of recalibration (or expiration criteria) A list of serviced pipettes is located in the Administrative Services Officer files. Maintenance and calibration log will be maintained for each calibrated pipette. The logs are kept in the laboratories in which the pipettes are used. Each laboratory unit that performs intermediate calibration checks of pipettes must follow the procedure described in the unit s technical procedures manual. Continued on next page Page 4 of 8 All printed copies are uncontrolled. This document printed on 7/7/205

5 Maintenance and Calibration of Technical Equipment, Continued Maintenance agreements for major instruments The laboratory has maintenance agreements for the following major instruments: gas chromatographs mass spectrometers inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer laser ablasion microscope spectrometers FTIR spectrophotometers UV-Visible spectrophotometers FTIR spectrophotometers with microscope UV-Visible spectrophotometer with microscope Raman spectrometer with microscope liquid chromatographs capillary electrophoresis genetic analyzers scanning electron microscopes energy dispersive spectrometers. Maintenance agreements are located in the Administrative Services Officer s files. NOTE: For routine maintenance and calibration procedures, refer to the individual procedures manuals. Continued on next page Page 5 of 8 All printed copies are uncontrolled. This document printed on 7/7/205

6 Maintenance and Calibration of Technical Equipment, Continued Microscopes Malfunctioning equipment Equipment inservice Documentation Record keeping The laboratory contracts with a private vendor to clean and service the microscopes. A list of serviced microscopes is located in the Administrative Services Officer s files. Additional logs may be kept in the laboratories in which the microscopes are used. NOTE: The analysts in the Trace Evidence Section personally clean and service the microscopes in their section. Equipment that is not properly functioning or cannot be properly calibrated will be taken out-of-service and clearly marked as such, in order to prevent the equipment from being inadvertently used. Any equipment that has been placed into or returned to service must demonstrate proper functioning either by calibration or test result. Each laboratory unit maintains records of all maintenance, calibrations, and validations of technical equipment. Such records must be easily accessible by unit analysts. Maintenance records for each instrument must be kept in a maintenance log readily available to the instrument operator. The following will be retained in the laboratory for five years, after which they may be destroyed: records of service agreements lists of serviced microscopes, balances, and pipettes. Page 6 of 8 All printed copies are uncontrolled. This document printed on 7/7/205

7 Calibration of Laboratory Rulers and Tape Measures Introduction Acceptability Records Rulers not calibrated Laboratory rulers and tape measures that are used for the measurement of lengths critical to the examination of the evidence are checked against a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable ruler to ensure its accuracy. Laboratory rulers and tape measures must be accurate to plus or minus ( ) the smallest unit of measure on the ruler or tape when compared to the NIST traceable ruler. Rulers or tape measures that are not accurate to plus or minus ( ) the smallest unit of measure are discarded. Each ruler or tape measure that has been verified against the NIST traceable ruler is given a consecutive number and recorded into a master log. The master log is maintained in the Trace Evidence Laboratory. The paper or plastic rulers used for photographic identification purposes are not intended to be an accurate measuring tool and are not verified against the NIST traceable ruler. These rulers are for estimating size only. Page 7 of 8 All printed copies are uncontrolled. This document printed on 7/7/205

8 Walk-in Refrigerators and Freezers Walk-In refrigerators and freezers Temperature settings Alarms The following walk-in refrigerators and freezers are used for evidence storage in the crime laboratory: evidence room refrigerator blood alcohol laboratory refrigerator serology laboratory freezer evidence room freezer. The walk-in refrigerators and freezers are serviced and maintained by Facilities Planning and Management, Sacramento County General Services. The following chart details the temperature setting ranges for each refrigerator and freezer. Location Set Point ( C) Alarm High ( C) Alarm Low ( C) Serology freezer -25 to -5 2 to 6 - Evidence freezer -5 to - to 5 - Evidence refrigerator 2 to 4 to 5 0 to - Blood alcohol refrigerator 2 to 4 to 5 0 to - Each walk-in refrigerator and freezer is equipped with an alarm. In the event that an alarm is triggered, the alarm alerts the County Communications Center. The County Communications Center is responsible for contacting Facilities Planning and Management. Page 8 of 8 All printed copies are uncontrolled. This document printed on 7/7/205