Test equipment certification is typically performed by a third-party organization in order to prove that the standards used by the test equipment to perform calibrations are accurate and valid with regard to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) or other standards organizations. For example, if you are using a piece of test equipment to calibrate the clock on another piece of equipment, you must certify that the test equipment clock is accurate with regard to the standard time. The third-party organizations that perform these certifications often use a process that is in compliance with the standard ISO/IEC 17025. Information about the test certification is stored in Test Equipment History records. You can also attach a reference document to each Test Equipment History.
To ensure that the test equipment remains accurate, it should be re-certified on a set time interval (e.g., once a year). If the test equipment is not re-certified within the defined time interval, it will be considered out of certification. If you enter the most recent certification date and certification interval in a Test Equipment record, it will automatically determine whether that piece of equipment is currently certified, and that information will be stored in the Certification Status field. Test Equipment History records store the certification history of a piece of test equipment, and are linked to the corresponding Test Equipment record for that piece of equipment.
Although the GE Digital APM system does not require you to use a certified device, it is recommended that you use a certified device to perform calibrations.