IFA calibration body for sound level meters used by the German social accident insurance institutions in occupational safety & health

The quality assurance of industrial sound measurements calls for regular examination of the sound level meters employed. If the instruments are intended for commercial or official use, they must be approved and calibrated – see Art. 1, Section 1, No. 11 and Art. 1, Section 2, No. 1 of the Measurement and Calibration Ordinance of 11 December 2014 (Federal Law Gazette I, pp. 2010, 2011), amended most recently by Article 1 of the Ordinance of 10 August 2017 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 3098).

In cooperation with Dortmund Calibration Office, IFA therefore offers the social accident insurance institutions the official calibration of their sound level meters used in occupational safety & health. The Calibration Directorate in Cologne has recognised IFA as a calibration body. Essential for the official calibration of a sound level meter is a type test at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Germany’s national metrology institute. A list (PDF, 328 KB, non-accessible) of sound level meters with type-approval certificate that are capable of calibration is given by PTB. For sound level meters not subject to compulsory calibration, an individual IFA examination is offered that is identical to calibration in terms of the scope of testing and the applied tolerances. The examination is based in either case on the standards applicable to sound level meters, e.g. DIN EN 60651, DIN EN 60804 and DIN EN 61672.

Individual examinations of sound level meters are handled promptly by IFA without an appointment within 2 to 3 weeks.

For calibration, on the other hand, specific appointments must be made by telephone or in writing. After written confirmation of the calibration appointment, the instrument is to be sent in for the agreed appointment with a letter placing the order for calibration.