Weights
& Measures
(801) 538-7156
Information on the Food Compliance and
Weights and Measures Registration Programs
The
primary focus of this program is to ensure that equity prevails in the
market place, and that commodities bought or sold are accurately weighed
or measured and properly identified.
All weighing or measuring devices used in a commercial application are
subject to inspection to ensure their accuracy. This includes the weight
or measure of foods, non-food products, services, scanners, or commodities
purchased in the State of Utah. We also respond to numerous consumer
complaints dealing with violations of the weights and measures laws.
Most
items purchased each day are sold by weight, measure, or count. Inspection
of weighing and measuring devices for correctness and accuracy helps
to protect both consumers and retailers from unfair business practices.
Weights
and Measures Frequently Asked Questions
Types
of Devices Tested
Large Capacity Scales (over 1000 lbs.)
These devices include scales used for weighing livestock, coal,
gravel, vehicles, and similar items; inspections are conducted at auction
yards, ranches, ports of entry, mine sites, construction sites, gravel
pits and railroad yards.
Small Capacity Scales (up to 999 lbs.)
Scales are inspected to ensure that they are accurate for the services
in which they are used, that they are installed properly, and positioned
so that customers can see the display.
Motor Fuel
Test all gasoline pumps for accurate measurement, storage tanks
for water, test fuel for quality (octane).
Package Inspection
All packages, cans, bottles, and containers that have a weight,
measure, or count declaration are subject to inspection. Routine verification
of the net contents of packages is done to facilitate value comparison
and fair competition. Inspections are done at point-of-pack locations,
storage warehouses, retail stores, and wholesale outlets.
Price Verification (Scanning)
All business that use UPC scanning systems are subject to inspection.
Testing is done by randomly selecting items, recording the display price,
then verifying the posted price matches the scanned price. A passing
score is 98% or above, meaning that only one of each 50 items selected
is allowed to scan incorrectly.
Large Capacity
Petroleum and Water Meters
Inspections are conducted on airport fuel trucks, all fuel delivery
trucks, cement batch plant water meters, asphalt plant meters, and other
large meters.
Propane (LPG)
All propane delivery trucks, and all retail dispensers at service
stations are subject to inspection.
Metrology Lab
Houses the state primary standards of mass, length, and volume,
conducts tests and certifies mass and volume standards used by industry
and business. Valid National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Test Numbers have been issued to Utah and are on file at NIST and at
the Utah Laboratory.
Consumers rely on the services of this facility to certify equipment
used for weight, length or volumetric measurement in commercial business.
Utah
Code and Administrative Rules Relating to Weights and Measures
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