The Surveyors Board of Queensland is reminding the state’s surveyors of the requirements for calibration of their equipment.
According to the SBQ, all registrants must confirm that their surveying equipment is maintained in proper working order by regularly calibrating it.
The obligation to do so falls under Section 24 of the Survey and Mapping Infrastructure Regulation 2024 and requires that a current calibration certificate be obtained as evidence that instruments have been checked and verified.
The SBQ says that in the case of Electronic Distance Measuring Equipment (EDME), calibration must be legally traceable to certified EDM baselines that hold a current Regulation 13 certificate under the National Measurement Act 1960.
Equipment must be calibrated at least every 12 months, although instruments that are used in harsh environments might need to be calibrated more frequently.
In addition, instruments that have been repaired, serviced or subjected to shocks or rough handling must be recalibrated before use.
The SBQ reminds surveyors that calibration tests must be undertaken using approved calibration systems and must result in a report demonstrating compliance with the required tolerances. Only calibrations done in this way provide legal traceability of length.
According to the SBQ, certificates issued by manufacturers, service agents or repairers do not provide legal traceability unless the testing was carried out on a certified baseline and is supported by a current Regulation 13 certificate. A service certificate on its own does not establish legal traceability.
As Spatial Source reported last year, Queensland’s official EDM baselines are grouped into two regions and are recertified on a two-year cycle.
The SBQ advises that surveyors are encouraged to use Medjil software for EDME testing. Medjil was developed by Western Australia’s Landgate.
There is currently a transition period underway in Queensland, with both Medjil and the legacy Baseline system operating in parallel. Eventually Baseline will be decommissioned and Medjil will be the sole supported platform.
