Equipment Calibration Register Setup Guide

Step 1 — List the instruments that need calibrating

Go round each site and list anything whose measurement matters for safety, a customer contract or a quality system — torque wrenches, paint mixing scales, pressure gauges, thermometers, test meters and any MOT testing equipment subject to DVSA requirements.

Step 2 — Record the core fields for each instrument

• Instrument ID — a name and serial number unique enough to find on the shop floor.
• Certificate reference — the calibration certificate attached to the item, plus the lab or supplier that issued it.
• Interval basis — note who sets the interval (manufacturer, quality system, DVSA) and what it is, so it can be checked later.
• Out-of-tolerance action — what happens if the instrument fails: quarantine, re-calibration, or a shortened interval, and who decides.
• Owner — the responsible person for booking the next calibration.

Step 3 — Set the interval, and keep it to one source

A due date on its own has to be recalculated by hand every cycle. Recording the interval as well means you can check the next due date is still correct even if it was entered manually, and it gives a reference point if the interval ever changes (for example, after a failed calibration).

Step 4 — Attach the certificate, then complete the record

When a calibration certificate arrives, attach it to the item. Separately, mark the item complete to log it to the service history, and enter the new next-due date yourself — FileGuard does not calculate or move that date automatically from the certificate.

Step 5 — Configure reminders

Turn on reminders for the item or its category and choose how far ahead they should fire — a common pattern is 90/60/30/14/7 days before the due date — and who should receive them. Without this step, nothing is sent.

Step 6 — Review and audit

Keep a history of past certificates rather than overwriting them, and check the activity log periodically to confirm records are being kept up to date by the people responsible for them.

Where to go next

For buying criteria, see calibration software features. For a wider worked example that includes lifting equipment, see equipment tracking setup.