Calibration certificates in Malaysia, and what they have to show
What the certificate shows, how long it stays valid, and how to ask for a copy.
A calibration certificate is the document that says an instrument was compared with a known reference on a given date, and what it read before and after.
TopBorneo issues one for every unit it calibrates in Kota Kinabalu. The next due date follows your own interval.
One document per calibrated unit
Why work with TopBorneo
Tell us the job, the site and the crew. We work out what fits instead of sending a catalogue back.
MSA, KStrong and Bullard straight from an official distributor, with lighter lines alongside them.
Gas detectors, breathing apparatus and cylinders are serviced by our own technicians.
The same people handle your enquiry, your order and your servicing.
Read more
Open a section to read the detail behind it.
A certificate and a test report are not the same paper
| Document | What it says | What it does not say |
|---|---|---|
| Calibration certificate | This instrument was compared with a known reference on this date, and here is the result | That the instrument is fit for your specific job |
| Test certificate or certificate of conformity | This item left the factory meeting a stated specification | Anything about the instrument you are holding today |
| Inspection record | A competent person examined this equipment and it passed or failed | Any measured value |
Buyers ask for "certification" and get whichever of the three the supplier happens to have. Ask for the document by name.
How long a calibration certificate is valid
Malaysia's Industry Code of Practice for Safe Working in a Confined Space 2010 asks for an instrument calibrated the way its maker recommends. So the next due date follows the manufacturer's interval and your own procedure, and not a date printed on the certificate.
For portable gas detectors, MSA recommends calibration at a maximum interval of six months for devices with standard XCell sensors, plus a bump test before each day's use. On high risk sites a quarterly interval is common, and a client contract can be stricter than any manufacturer.
So a certificate dated 3 March is not "valid for a year". It is proof of what happened on 3 March, and your own interval decides when the next one is due.
What to check on a calibration certificate
Use this list on any supplier's certificate, including one from TopBorneo.
- Is the instrument identified by make, model and serial number, so the document belongs to one specific unit?
- Is there a date on it?
- Does it state what the instrument was compared against, and whether that reference has a certificate of its own?
- Does it show the reading before adjustment as well as after?
- Does it name the organisation that carried out the work?
Point 4 is the one that decides what the document is worth. The reading before adjustment, the as found value, is what shows whether the readings your crew took since the last calibration can be relied on. A certificate without it says only that the instrument is right today.
TopBorneo measures that as found value on the bench in Kota Kinabalu, before anything is adjusted, and reads the unit again after adjustment. A certificate that only says "calibrated" and carries a stamp tells an auditor nothing, whoever issued it.
The certificate and your confined space permit
This is where the paperwork does its work. Malaysia's Industry Code of Practice for Safe Working in a Confined Space 2010 requires an Authorised Gas Tester and Entry Supervisor to carry out the gas testing before entry. That person needs a detector that is in calibration, and the certificate is what shows it. Keep it with the permit, not in a drawer in the office. TopBorneo supplies and calibrates the detector that person uses.
The same applies to work at height and to breathing apparatus: the equipment file is what a client auditor reads first.
What TopBorneo issues, and what to do when a certificate is lost
Every unit that leaves the calibration bench in Kota Kinabalu goes back with a dated calibration certificate that states what TopBorneo measured in its own workshop, before and after adjustment. If a certificate goes missing during a shutdown, send TopBorneo the serial number and it checks its records for that unit.
For what the work itself involves, see portable gas detector calibration. For the MSA ALTAIR 4XR and 5X specifically, see ALTAIR 4XR and 5X servicing. Fall protection and laboratory equipment follow their own routes: fall protection inspection results in a written outcome rather than a calibration certificate.
Common questions
What is a calibration certificate?
A calibration certificate records that an instrument was compared with a reference of a known value on a stated date, and what the instrument read before and after adjustment. TopBorneo issues one for every unit calibrated in its workshop, identified by model and serial number.
How long is a calibration certificate valid in Malaysia?
Malaysia's code for confined space work asks for an instrument calibrated the way its maker recommends. So the next calibration date follows from the interval in the manufacturer's manual and in your own procedure. For portable gas detectors with standard XCell sensors, MSA recommends calibration at a maximum interval of six months. TopBorneo dates every certificate it issues.
What is the difference between a calibration certificate and a test certificate?
A calibration certificate reports a measurement made on your instrument on a given date. A test certificate, sometimes called a certificate of conformity, says the item met a specification when it left the factory. Auditors want the first one for equipment in daily use.
A certificate has gone missing, what now?
Email crm@topborneo.com with the model and serial number of the unit. TopBorneo checks its records for that unit and comes back to you.
Do I need a calibration certificate for a confined space permit?
Malaysia's Industry Code of Practice for Safe Working in a Confined Space 2010 puts the gas testing before entry with an Authorised Gas Tester and Entry Supervisor. That person needs a detector that is in calibration. The certificate is what shows it, so keep it in the permit file.
Ask for the certificate you need
Email crm@topborneo.com with the model and serial number of the equipment. WhatsApp works too. The Labuan number is +60 10 959 0259 and the Kota Kinabalu number is +60 16 775 0259. TopBorneo replies with what the unit needs and what documentation comes back with it.