State regulation of the application of various units of measurement is the most important aspect of the development of industry and science. A separate agency - Rosstandart - is engaged in the solution of these problems in the Russian Federation. In particular, in his competence is the certification of measurement standards. What is their essence? What is the specificity of the certification certification procedure?
What are unit standards?
To begin, consider a number of theoretical information on the topic in question. Before determining what certification of standards represents, we will study their essence. For this, we turn to the provisions of a special regulatory act - Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 734, adopted on September 23, 2010.
In this source of law, the concept of a standard is considered in the context of a technical tool used to ensure the correct application of certain units of quantities adopted to achieve the unity of various technical measurements.
Pattern Structure
The composition of the standards may include various devices and measuring instruments that are involved in the reproduction of units of quantities, the implementation of their storage, transmission.
The structure of the standard may also contain tools by which competent structures can exercise control over the fulfillment of requirements, which are established in relation to the conditions of maintenance and use of the standards. In addition, these resources can be supplemented by information and computing infrastructure, various buildings and structures - if this is necessary from the point of view of ensuring the functioning of standards as tools to ensure the correctness of measurements.
Decree No. 734 states that the main body that regulates the turnover of measuring instruments is Rosstandart, which has the status of a federal agency. By separate orders, this department:
- approves the names of various standards;
- assigns numbers to one or another measuring instrument;
- approves the structure of standards;
- defines metrological and technological requirements for measuring instruments;
- establishes rules for the maintenance and use of standards;
- determines the intervals between the certification of measuring instruments.
Further in the article we will consider the features of Rosstandart in more detail. But for now - on the certification of standards. First, consider its main stages.
The stages of certification standards
So, certification of standards of various units of quantities in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation is carried out in several stages. What is their specificity?
First, the holder of the standard implements their primary certification. As part of it, you need to prepare a set of the following documents:
- passport of a measuring instrument;
- the rules of maintenance, as well as the application of the standard, in which there is also a section on the methodology for its certification;
- certificates of verification, as well as certification of the standard.
The next stage is the transfer to Rosstandart of a special application in order to approve the results of the primary certification, as well as entering information about the standards into the Federal Fund. This source is supplemented by applications that reflect information on all certified standards. Relevant applications may be submitted electronically.
In order to confirm the information reflected in the application for Rosstandart, the holder of the standard should send the documents for expert examination. If it shows positive results, then Rosstandart issues an order on the approval of the proposed standards. This legal act becomes the basis for the subsequent inclusion of information on the standards in the Federal Fund.
Subsequently, the holder periodically certifies the standards. It is also necessary to inform Rosstandart about its results. If certain standards have not passed certification, information about this is also transmitted to the department. Based on information about the unsuitability of standards, the Rosreestr makes the necessary adjustments in the registers of the Federal Fund. Let us now consider in more detail how the certification of standards is carried out.
First of all, it will be interesting for us to study the key nuances of the regulatory regulation of this procedure.
Certification of standards: regulation
In the legislation of the Russian Federation several sources of law are approved at once, regulating how certification of standards is carried out. An example of one of the key regulatory acts in this area is the Order of Rosstandart No. 36, which was published on January 22, 2014. This normative act was developed in order to ensure the implementation of the provisions of Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 734. The jurisdiction of Order No. 36 extends to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs who use standards of various types, in particular those that are used in the field of state regulation of measurement uniformity.
In Order No. 36, the following basic terms are defined in terms of regulation of the sphere in question:
- “state standards of units of quantities” as corresponding to objects in the status of federal property;
- “unit standard” as some technical means that is used to carry out various operations with objects.
Let us now examine in more detail what key provisions the Order of Rosstandart No. 36 includes.
Order No. 36: General Provisions
In the “General Provisions” of the corresponding source of law, the wordings are given in accordance with which the status of state standards that apply in the field of state regulation of measurement uniformity may have objects and measuring instruments manufactured both in Russia and abroad, subject to the availability of:
- metrological characteristics;
- required technical capabilities;
- rules of content and use;
- established intervals between certifications.
At the same time, this or that measuring instrument, which has not been approved, can also be classified as a state standard - certification of standards in this case involves obtaining by the competent structure information about the calibration of the corresponding objects.
In accordance with Order No. 36, the interval between certifications generally corresponds to the minimum. It determines its specific verification procedure for measuring instruments.
The approval of standards directly, as well as the adjustment of data on them in state registers is carried out by a separate authority. Namely, the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology. The basis for the implementation of the relevant operations is the submission to the competent authority of an application from the holder of the standard. In addition, expertise may be relevant. In this case, it is carried out in order to determine the conformity of the standard, which was certified in the established manner, with the requirements in terms of:
- completeness;
- the quality of paperwork that is submitted by the applicant;
- the reliability of the information that is reflected in the application.
The verification of the corresponding kit is carried out by a special organization having the status of an operator of expert examination of sources. In some cases, the Institute of Metrology is connected to the solution of this problem. Based on the results of the examination, a conclusion is made on whether it is possible to include standards that have passed certification in the order of Rosstandart on their introduction.
Primary certification
Let us now examine how the legislation of the Russian Federation, in particular at the level of the provisions of the legal act in question, directly certifies the standards. First, it is carried out, as we noted above, at the level of primary communications. At this stage, the holder of standards, first of all, develops:
- special passport;
- rules for the use of the standard, in which there is a section on its periodic certification.
An important nuance: the rules should also, in cases stipulated by law, reflect the methodology in accordance with which calibration and calibration of measuring instruments should be carried out. This component of the rules can also be developed by order of the holder of the Institute of Metrology.
The forms by which the passport and rules should be drawn up are recommended by Rosstandart. The orders of this department, therefore, may contain the necessary forms. In turn, the methodology, in accordance with which the certification of the standard should be carried out, must also meet certain criteria. So, it needs to reflect the information:
- about those procedures that are implemented in the framework of certification;
- about how verification and calibration of measuring instruments should be carried out;
- about the rules in accordance with which the metrological characteristics of the standard are determined, and its conformity with individual criteria defined in the legislation is assessed;
- on the requirements for the rules for the application of the standard.
After the documents necessary for the primary certification have been prepared, verification or calibration of the standard is carried out. It can be carried out by the Institute of Metrology, a competent state structure at the regional level, or by an accredited organization or individual entrepreneur.
Based on the results of the corresponding procedure, a calibration certificate is issued, which confirms that it was carried out according to the established scheme. If the standard is calibrated, then the fact that it corresponds to a certain category is confirmed by a separate conclusion. Rosstandart also approves the calibration certificate form. Orders of this department may also establish forms of relevant documents.
Primary certification: objectives of the standard holder
In this case, certain tasks are also assigned to the standard holder. So, it is assumed that he will assess his compliance with the established technical requirements, as well as with the criteria determining the content and use of the measuring instrument. If the results of the assessment of this conformity are positive, and the calibration certificate is issued correctly, then a certificate is issued confirming the fact of passing the certification of the standard. In this case, the corresponding measuring instrument receives a registration number.
The next task of the standard holder is to fill out a special application for approval of a measuring instrument that has passed the initial certification procedure. This document is sent to the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology.
Such is the specificity of the primary certification of standards. But there is also a periodic one. In fact, this is the certification of working standards. Consider its features in more detail.
Features of periodic certification of standards
The way in which this procedure goes is also determined by Rosstandart. Measuring instruments - an object of regulation, which is also within the competence of this department in the aspect of periodic certification.
As part of the procedure in question, verification or calibration of the standard can also be carried out. At the same time, its holder also plays a major role. Verification or calibration, as well as an assessment of the conformity of the measuring instrument to the established circuit, is carried out by the standard holder, which is characterized by the highest accuracy criteria by state standards. In this case, the holder of the standard must be accredited for competency.
In some cases, the methodology in accordance with which periodic certification is carried out may be provided by the standard holder of the firm that calibrates the measuring instruments.
If the verification results are positive, then the standard holder, which is characterized by high accuracy indicators in accordance with the established scheme, provides the owner of the measuring instrument with a certificate supplemented by a protocol. The form of this certificate is also determined by Rosstandart. Measuring instruments as an object of legislative regulation in this case also belong to the competence of the department.
As part of the periodic certification, standards holders also assess their compliance with established technical requirements, as well as with criteria for content and use, which should be reflected in the rules for the use of measuring instruments, as well as in operating documents. If the results of this assessment are positive, a certificate is issued confirming the fact of certification of the standard.
Then the holder of the appropriate measuring instrument enters information on the results of the periodic certification into the operation documents. After that, the information is transmitted to the competent government agencies in order to be entered in the registers of the Federal Fund.
If it becomes clear that the standard does not comply with the established scheme, following the results of its verification, and also if it is impossible to repair the corresponding measuring instrument, the holder of the standard with high accuracy indicators gives the holder a special notice that the standard is unsuitable for use due to failure to verify or due to the impossibility of calibrating it. A copy of this source should be transferred to Rosstandart. Certification of standards involves, as we already know, the transfer of information about them to the Federal Fund. Consider the features of this procedure in more detail.
Transfer of benchmark information to the Federal Fund
Information about the standards, which were approved by the legislation, is transferred to the relevant fund by Rosstandart. For this, the resources of the operator of the electronic document management system are used. Information is also used that is provided by the applicant in the prescribed form, provided that they are confirmed by the results of the examination.
Information recorded in the registers of the Fund may be periodically updated - provided that the data on the metrological characteristics of the measuring instrument are not changed. In turn, the holder of the standard is obliged to send a notification to Rosstandart in the prescribed form about changes in the structure of data on technical equipment, if:
- the holder has changed;
- adjustments were made to the passport of the technical tool or to the rules for its use;
- There have been changes in the intervals between certifications.
The corresponding notice may, if necessary, be supplemented by other documents in which certain changes are made.
Sources sent to Rosstandart are studied by the agency, after which its specialists issue an order to make adjustments to the registers of the Federal Fund. Information about various standards is stored in the established manner in the Fund. They can be removed after 5 years after the receipt of the notice that the operation of the measuring instrument has been discontinued.
If Rosstandart will be provided with erroneous information about these or those standards, the information present in the registers of the Federal Fund is checked. If it turns out that there really are errors, they are corrected in the prescribed manner.
The way in which the standards of units of physical quantities are certified, as well as how they are accounted for, is controlled by Rosstandart. This department also, as we noted above, implements the necessary law-making procedures, introducing, in particular, various forms into the workflow that are to be used by standard holders and other subjects of legal relations in the sphere of measuring instruments circulation. It will be useful to study in more detail the features of the work of Rosstandart.
Rosstandart as the main regulator of the scope of turnover of measuring instruments
This agency has the status of a federal agency. It is subordinate to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. Among the main objects of regulation within the competencies that Rosstandart is endowed with are standards (in particular, their certification), but not only. This agency is also responsible for a number of other key business areas. In particular, the competence of Rosstandart is:
- administration of various procedures related to the implementation of technical requirements - including those established by international agreements of the Russian Federation;
- examination of projects of various national standards;
- control and supervision of the activities of various business entities in terms of ensuring that their products comply with established requirements and regulations;
- ensuring the effective operation of various public services - metrology, time, frequency, reference data on physical quantities, samples of the composition of substances and materials.
Also, as we noted above, Rosstandart is responsible for maintaining the registers of the Federal Fund, which reflects data on which standards in metrology are certified, which of them are subject to additional study for compliance with established requirements, as well as about adjustments in the records of those or other measuring instruments.