Weights and Measures
Trade Verifications and Stampings
Verification and “Stamping”
Most types of weighing and measuring equipment used in transactions are legally required to be verified before they are used. This ensures that the equipment gives a fair and accurate result when it is used.
Verification involves checking the equipment for accuracy, and making sure that it meets any design and installation requirements that may have been imposed on it. Equipment is first verified before it is initially put into use – sometimes during the manufacturing stage, and again after repairs or alterations have been made to it after any malfunction.
This process is sometimes known as “stamping”, as the traditional method of showing the equipment complied was for a Weights and Measures Inspector to apply a Crown stamp to the item.
Our Weights and Measures Inspectors can carry out initial verification of a range of equipment, ranging from petrol pumps to shop scales and weighing equipment installations in factories. They can also re-verify all types of equipment after adjustment or repairs have been made.
Disqualification of Equipment
Our Inspectors also carry out unannounced inspections of equipment in use for trade. These inspections include businesses such as pubs, shops, petrol stations and factories. They have the power to disqualify any equipment that they find to be inaccurate, or being improperly used.
They may apply a Crown sticker showing the Crown crossed through with a six pointed star, or they may obliterate any Crown stamped seals on the item with a six pointed star. It then becomes illegal to use the equipment again, until it has been repaired and re-verified.
How to Book a Verification
If you are a business requiring a piece of equipment to be verified by us, please contact TS Connect.
They will then pass your details to the local Weights and Measures Inspector, so that they can arrange to visit you.
It would be helpful if you could give us the following details:
- Type of Equipment (e.g. Weighbridge, Petrol Pump)
- Manufacturer and model name
- Certificate of Approval number (this will be on the information plate attached to the item – it may be listed as “Cert no.”, “Approval no.” or “B of T No.”
- If it is a weighing machine, the capacity and size of division (e.g. 50 tons by 20kg divisions)
- If it is a petrol pump, how many nozzles require testing
- Address where the equipment is located
- Whether the equipment is new, or needs reverifying after disqualification or repair.
- Whether an engineer from the equipment company will be present when we attend.
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