CMLA Equipment Maintenance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which quality control record is most important to review before using a newly repaired pipette?
- Post-repair calibration verification record (Correct answer)
- The original purchase invoice
- The last scheduled cleaning log
- The daily temperature log of the storage cabinet
Correct answer: Post-repair calibration verification record
A post-repair calibration record confirms the pipette delivers accurate volumes after servicing before it is returned to use.
Question 2: What is the correct procedure when a laboratory refrigerator temperature exceeds its acceptable range on the daily log?
- Document the excursion, move specimens to a functioning unit, investigate the cause, and notify the supervisor (Correct answer)
- Discard all specimens immediately without further assessment
- Reset the thermostat and continue using the unit without documentation
- Increase the setpoint and monitor for 24 hours before taking action
Correct answer: Document the excursion, move specimens to a functioning unit, investigate the cause, and notify the supervisor
Specimens must be protected while the cause is identified; documentation and supervisor notification are required by most laboratory quality policies.
Question 3: A pH meter reads 0.3 units higher than the buffer standard. After replacing the buffer, the error persists. What should be checked next?
- The condition and calibration of the pH electrode (Correct answer)
- The room temperature sensor
- The internal clock and date settings
- The power supply voltage
Correct answer: The condition and calibration of the pH electrode
A persistent offset after buffer replacement points to a degraded or improperly stored electrode as the most likely cause.
Question 4: How often should eyewash stations be flushed according to ANSI Z358.1 guidelines?
- Weekly (Correct answer)
- Daily
- Monthly
- Annually
Correct answer: Weekly
ANSI Z358.1 requires eyewash stations to be activated weekly to flush stagnant water and verify proper function.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes a 'corrective maintenance' event?
- Repairing an instrument after it has failed or produced erroneous results (Correct answer)
- Cleaning equipment on a scheduled monthly basis
- Replacing reagent packs before expiration
- Verifying calibration as part of a daily QC run
Correct answer: Repairing an instrument after it has failed or produced erroneous results
Corrective maintenance is unplanned servicing performed in response to an equipment failure or quality issue.
Question 6: A spectrophotometer wavelength accuracy check uses which type of standard?
- Holmium oxide or didymium filter with known absorbance peaks (Correct answer)
- Distilled water as a blank only
- A serum-based proficiency testing sample
- A commercial control with a known analyte concentration
Correct answer: Holmium oxide or didymium filter with known absorbance peaks
Holmium oxide and didymium filters have certified absorbance peaks at defined wavelengths, making them the standard choice for wavelength calibration checks.
Question 7: When should laboratory equipment maintenance records be retained according to CLIA regulations?
- For at least 2 years (Correct answer)
- For 6 months only
- For 5 years for all record types
- Until the equipment is decommissioned, then discarded
Correct answer: For at least 2 years
CLIA requires maintenance and function check records to be retained for a minimum of 2 years.
CMLA Equipment Maintenance 3
Which quality control record is most important to review before using a newly repaired pipette?