With respect to the Guth 2100 wet bath simulator, 34.00 +/- .05 C is the manufacturer's specification. You will find this information in the manual included with the purchase of a new Guth 2100 simulator.
The manufacturer's specification for temperature stability on a Guth 2100 simulator is 34.00 ± .05° C.. It is not the 34.0 ± .2° C. expectation that applies in the breath room at time of use. The manufacturer's specification does not equal the ATC/CFS expectation for temperature range at time of use. The tighter standard of ± .05° C. is the expectation at initial inspection (see ATC "Best Practices" document) and upon annual inspection or inspection following maintenance.
A highly sensitive thermometer needs to be used during such initial, semi-annual, or annual inspections. The OPP use highly sensitive thermometers during their six-month-interval inspections.
If a police service conducts its own inspection, (or even worse, an adjustment or calibration), of a Guth 2100 simulator, only expecting ± .2° C., the inspection, adjustment. or calibration, does not match manufacturer’s specs and is inadequate to ensure reliability at time of use.
Quality Assurance in accordance with ATC "Best Practices" requires annual inspection, adjustment, and calibration of a Guth 2100 simulator to 34.00 ± .05° C.:
"All Approved Instruments, Approved Screening Devices and accessory equipment intended for active use in the program shall be individually inspected before being placed into service, and periodically thereafter, to ensure that they initially meet, and continue to meet the manufacturer’s specifications. The recommended interval between inspections is one year."
The manufacturer's specifications for the Guth 2100 can be found in the manual that comes with the purchase of a new Guth 2100.
From a Criminal Code section 320.31(1) perspective, the failure of a police service to properly inspect their Guth 2100 simulators, will not directly result in an acquittal. It is, however, a live section 8 systemic breach issue and a live background issue if a Court is considering the reliability of a "system calibration check" in section 320.31(1)(a) litigation.
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