Circular No. 11/2018/TT-BKHCN stipulates economic-technical norms for calibration and verification activities of environmental air monitoring stations operating continuously and automatically.

CIRCULAR
Regulations on economic and technical norms for calibration and verification activities of measuring instruments for automatic and continuous air quality monitoring stations
automatic continuous air quality monitoring stations measuring instruments

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Pursuant to the Law on Measurement dated November 11, 2011;

Pursuant to the Environmental Protection Law on June 23, 2014;

Pursuant to Decree No. 95/2017/NĐ-CP dated August 16, 2017 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Science and Technology;

At the proposal of the Director General of the National Standardization, Metrology and Quality Control Department and the Head of the Legal Affairs Department;

The Minister of Science and Technology issues this Circular to regulate economic and technical norms regarding necessary consumption levels for labor, technology, equipment, tools, and materials to complete a process or entire work according to the calibration and verification procedures of measuring instruments for automatic and continuous air quality monitoring stations, serving the preparation of budgets and unit prices for calibration and verification activities using state funds through the state's procurement method and allocation of state budget funds.

PART I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular stipulates economic-technical norms regarding necessary consumption levels for labor, technology equipment, tools, and materials to complete a process step or the entire work process for inspecting and calibrating measuring instruments at automatic continuous air quality monitoring stations, serving the preparation of budget estimates and unit prices for inspection and calibration activities using state funds through the state's procurement method and allocation of state budget plans.

Article 2. Applicability

1. Central and local environmental monitoring centers and stations.

2. Organizations providing calibration and verification services designated by authorized state metrology agencies.

3. State agencies, organizations, and individuals related to calibration and verification activities of measuring instruments for automatic and continuous air quality monitoring stations.

Article 3. Explanation of terms and abbreviations

1. Mode of transport Technology and Environment on the establishment of the Journal of Standards is a technical device used to perform measurements.

2. Measuring instruments for automatic and continuous air quality monitoring stations is a technical device used to measure the concentration of one or more parameters in the air environment.

3. Verification is an activity to evaluate and confirm the measurement technical characteristics of measuring instruments according to measurement technical requirements.

4. Calibration is an activity to determine and establish the relationship between the measured value of the measuring instrument and the measured value of the quantity being measured with the reference standard.

5. "Blank" gas: is a gas with a concentration lower than the detection limit that the measuring instrument can detect.

6. Blank gas generator: is a device that generates blank gas where the components of the gas affecting the components of the gas in the object to be measured have concentrations below the detection threshold.

7. Reference gas (reference gas mixture): is a reference substance in gaseous form certified to have stable component concentrations determined, usually compressed at high pressure in metal cylinders.

8. Reference gas dilution device: is a device capable of diluting reference gas into gas with desired concentrations based on the principle of mixing reference gas with blank gas.

9. Abbreviation definitions

Article 4. Methodology for establishing economic and technical norms

1. Labor technological norms are established using the comprehensive method (statistical, experience, and comparative estimation methods) and analytical methods (calculation analysis and survey analysis).

2. Equipment, tool, and material norms are established using the comprehensive method (statistical, experience, and comparative estimation methods).

3. Economic and technical norms for verification activities of measuring instruments for automatic and continuous air quality monitoring stations are established according to the procedures specified in the corresponding Vietnamese Technical Measurement Document (ĐLVN). Economic and technical norms for calibration activities of measuring instruments for automatic and continuous air quality monitoring stations are set at the same level of labor, equipment, tool, and material consumption as the verification activities of those measuring instruments.

Article 5. Contents of economic and technical norms

1. Economic and technical norms include the following component norms:

a) Labor technology norms

Labor technology norms (hereinafter referred to as labor norms) are the necessary direct working time to perform a work step or the entire work according to the inspection and calibration procedures.

Labor norms reflect the following contents:

- Work content: basic operations and main operations performed for the inspection and calibration process of measuring instruments.

- Staffing: specifies the number of workers and technical levels required for the work; workers participating in inspections and calibrations must meet the requirements for inspectors and calibrators as stipulated by law.

- Norms: specify the direct working time required to perform a work step or the entire work according to the inspection and calibration procedures. The unit of measurement is individual workdays or workdays per work step or the entire work according to the inspection and calibration procedures, with one workday being calculated as 8 hours.

b) Equipment norms

- Equipment norms are the time workers use equipment and machinery necessary to perform a work step or the entire work according to the inspection and calibration procedures. The unit of measurement is shift/work step or the entire work according to the inspection and calibration procedures.

- Equipment usage period (depreciation period) is the expected usage time of equipment for inspection and calibration activities under normal conditions, consistent with the economic and technical parameters of the equipment. The unit of measurement is years.

- The equipment usage period is applied in accordance with Circular No. 45/2013/TT-BTC dated April 25, 2013, issued by the Minister of Finance guiding the management, use, and depreciation of fixed assets, and Circular No. 162/2014/TT-BTC dated November 6, 2014, issued by the Minister of Finance regulating the management and wear and tear of fixed assets in state agencies, public service units, and organizations using state budget funds.

- Number of machine shifts used per year: external machines are 250 shifts, internal machines are 500 shifts.

c) Tool norms

- Tool usage norms are calculated based on the direct working time workers use necessary tools to perform a work step or the entire work according to the inspection and calibration procedures. The unit of measurement is shift/work step or the entire work according to the inspection and calibration procedures.

- Small tool and accessory rates are calculated at 5% of the tool rate in the Tool Norm Table.

- The tool usage period is the expected usage time of tools for inspection and calibration activities under normal conditions, consistent with the economic and technical parameters of the tools, with the unit of time measurement being months.

d) Material norms: - Material usage norms are the quantity of materials needed to perform a work step (or the entire work according to the procedure) for inspection and calibration. - Small material and loss rates are calculated at 8% of the material rate in the Material Norm Table.

2. These economic and technical norms do not include transportation services for inspection and calibration activities of measuring instruments for automatic and continuous air quality monitoring stations.

Chapter II
ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL NORMS FOR
INSPECTION AND CALIBRATION OF MEASURING INSTRUMENTS FOR
AUTOMATIC AND CONTINUOUS AIR QUALITY MONITORING STATIONS

Article 6. Labor Standards

1. Scope of work

The calibration and verification process for automatic and continuous air quality monitoring stations includes the following steps: preparation, implementation, and general processing. Details of each step are specified in the corresponding Vietnamese Labor Standards (VNS).

2. Staffing Levels

Table 1. Regulations on staffing levels according to job tasks

3. Labor Standards:

Unit of Measure: group work hours/one measuring instrument requiring calibration and verification

Table 2. Regulations on labor standards according to job tasks

Article 7. Equipment, Tools, and Material Standards

1. Equipment Standards

a) Preparation

Unit of Measure: shift/one measuring instrument requiring calibration and verification

Table 3. Regulations on equipment standards for the preparation step

b) Implementation

Unit of Measure: shift/one measuring instrument requiring calibration and verification.

Table 4. Regulations on equipment standards for the implementation step (*)

Note: (*) For equipment standards of the implementation step, refer to the coefficient specified in Table 5.

Table 5. Regulations on coefficients according to job tasks

c) General Processing

Unit of Measure: shift/one measuring instrument requiring calibration and verification.

Table 6. Regulations on equipment standards for the general processing step

2. Tool Standards

a) Preparation

Unit of Measure: shift/one measuring instrument requiring calibration and verification

Table 7. Regulations on tool standards for the preparation step

b) Implementation

Unit of Measure: shift/one measuring instrument requiring calibration and verification.

Table 8. Regulations on tool standards for the implementation step (*)

Note: (*) For tool standards of the implementation step, refer to the coefficient specified in Table 5.

c) General Processing

Unit of Measure: shift/one measuring instrument requiring calibration and verification.

Table 9. Regulations on tool standards for the general processing step

3. Material Standards

a) Calibration Preparation: no materials used

b) Implementation

Table 10. Regulations on material standards for the implementation step (*)

Note: 

- Material standards from items 1-15 apply equally for calibration and verification of gas analysis devices.

- Material standard at item 16 specifies calibration gas according to each gas analysis device.

- For material standards of the implementation step, refer to the coefficient specified in Table 5.

c) General Processing

Table 11. Regulations on material standards for the general processing step

Chapter III
IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 8. Effective Date

This Circular takes effect from September 15, 2018.

Article 9. Implementation Organization

1. Ministries, agencies equivalent to ministries, government agencies, provincial People's Committees under central jurisdiction, and related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular.

2. In cases where the documents cited in this Circular are amended, supplemented, or replaced, they shall be implemented according to the newly issued documents.

3. During the implementation process, if there are difficulties or obstacles, please report them in writing to the Ministry of Science and Technology (General Department of Standardization, Metrology, and Quality Control) for guidance or research on amendments and supplements to ensure compliance./.