Weighing is an often forgotten, behind the scenes activity, which most people rarely think about. When people think about weighing they immediately think about their bathroom scale, but have you considered how many products you use every single day that are sold by weight? Food, drinks, gas, cleaning products, medicines, virtually every product you use, eat or drink needs to be measured and a large portion of these are measured by weight.

In South Africa the law governing standards for weighing (Legal Metrology Act) is amongst the best in the world. Unfortunately many people do not know the law and therefore do not know their rights and responsibilities. In today’s blog I would like to deal specifically with one aspect of the law : Verification of scales.

Whilst there are a whole host of rules and regulations around Verification, I will try and cover a few which affect most people and stick to “layman’s” terms as far as possible.

1. Which scales require Verification? There is a long list but for purposes of this blog, any scale which is used to buy/sell any product.
2. Which scales must be Verified? All scales that have been approved by SANAS for trade use, whether or not they are being used for trade purposes.
3. Who can Verify my scales? Only an accredited Verification Officer who works for an accredited Verification Laboratory may Verify your scales. Make sure your scale supplier is accredited.
4. How often must my scales be Verified? Every 2 years, or if the scale has been repaired.
5. What is Verification? Verification firstly checks that the scale and all its components comply with the requirements of the law and its approval by SANAS. Secondly, the accuracy of the scale is checked and thirdly, the scale is sealed and made safe from tamper (as far as possible). Ultimately a Verified scale is a trusted scale.
6. What happens if I don’t Verify my scales? The NRCS has inspectors which regularly visit businesses to do inspections. Non-compliance can lead to fines, legal action, work stoppages, confiscation and even criminal charges. Not to mention damage to one’s reputation.
7. How do I know if the scale has been Verified? Any scale which has been Verified must have a Verification Certificate available for viewing on demand, there must be an un-removable sticker on the scale and the scale must be sealed.
8. Examples of businesses which must use Verified scales; butcheries, green grocers, supermarkets, scrap yards, gas depots, manufacturing companies and many more.

The law is there to protect all of us, let’s work together to keep South Africa great by complying with these laws. If you suspect that someone is breaking the law report them immediately to the NRCS.

Premier Scale Services is an accredited Verification Laboratory please feel free to contact us for any assistance regarding Verification of your scales.