This is a question that we get asked very frequently - "how often do I need to get my medical scales calibrated?". In an ideal world they should be checked as often as possible, especially if they are being used at a hospital, care home or a medical centre where the patient's weight can impact medication dosage or the need for further medical attention. Accuracy of medical scales is paramount.

Much like driving a car, every time you start the engine and drive down the road you are putting a strain on the engine and gradually adding to the wear and tear, whether it is a noticeable amount or not. Even on the most premium set of scales, every time a patient is weighed parts move, components are placed under strain and over time the load cells become less accurate.

What impacts the accuracy of medical scales?

The most common factors are workload (how often they are used), age, how well they are looked after and how often they are moved. If your scales are frequently moved (for example, baby weighing scales used by health visitors and midwives) regular changes in temperature and humidity can also have an impact on a scale's accuracy.

Calibration Frequency

With all the variables mentioned above, along with your requirements, tolerances and quality of parts used the model that you have, there is not a definitive answer. However, as a ballpark recommendation we say that medical scales should be calibrated and serviced every six months to maintain a high level of accuracy.

If this sounds more often than you were expecting you should not worry about the price of this work being carried out as we have 5 levels of cost-effective service packages available. You should also know that when carrying out Calibration work, we use test weights that are tested to M1 & F1 standards, traceable to a UKAS Approved Laboratory. Our ISO calibration certificates are issued in full accordance with the UK Weighing Federation codes of practice and in-line with our ISO 9001:2015 accreditation. This means that our calibration work is carried out to the highest standard.

If you think that your scales are due for a service or calibration get in touch and one of our team will get your scales back to maximum accuracy in no time.

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