Statutory Instruments
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
Made
29th September 1986
Laid before Parliament
9th October 1986
Coming into Operation
1st November 1986
1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Weights and Measures (Local and Working Standard Weights and Testing Equipment) Regulations 1986 and shall come into operation on 1st November 1986.
(2) The Weights and Measures (Local and Working Standard Weights and Testing Equipment) Regulations 1983 are hereby revoked.
2.-(1) In these Regulations-
"analogue" means
"digital" means
"discrimination threshold" means
"non-automatic weighing machine" means
"repeatability" means
"95 per cent. confidence interval" means
(2) The symbols for, and abbreviations of, units of weight used in these Regulations refer to the relevant units set out in Schedule 1 to these Regulations.
3.-(1) Working standard weights and test weights and egg grading machine test poises shall have been tested within twelve months before use and, where an inspector has reasonable cause to believe that any such weight or poise is not accurate within the relevant limit of error, he shall test it before use.
(2) Where a test reveals an error exceeding the relevant limit of error the weight or poise shall not be further used until it has been so adjusted that any error is within that limit.
4. Working standard weights shall be tested against local standard weights by the method of substitution.
5. Test weights and egg grading machine test poises shall be tested by either:
(a)the method of substitution, or
(b)the method of comparison against either:
(i)local standard weights; or
(ii)working standard weights or test weights,
6.-(1) Testing equipment consisting of weighing equipment shall have been tested for repeatability and for discrimination threshold within six months before use and shall not be used for testing working standard weights, test weights or egg grading machine test poises unless it complies with the requirements of Regulation 7 below.
(2) Where an inspector has reasonable cause to believe that any testing equipment referred to in this Regulation is not accurate within the relevant limit of error, he shall test it before use.
7. Testing equipment consisting of weighing equipment used for testing working standard weights, test weights and egg grading machine test poises shall comply with the following requirements:
(a)the discrimination threshold of the testing equipment used shall not exceed one-fifth of the relevant amount specified in Tables 1 to 6 in Schedule 2 to these Regulations as the limit of error for the weight being tested, or, in the case of an egg grading machine test poise, 7 mg, and
(b)the repeatability of the testing equipment shall be such that the 95 per cent. confidence interval of a single reading does not exceed one-fifth of the relevant amount specified in Tables 1 to 6 in Schedule 2 to these Regulations as the limit of error for the weight being tested, or, in the case of an egg grading machine test poise, 7 mg.
8.-(1) The prescribed limits of error relating to local and working standard weights and test weights shall be those set out in Tables 1 to 6 in Schedule 2 to these Regulations.
(2) The prescribed limit of error relating to egg grading machine test poises shall be 35 mg.
9. The period of five years is hereby prescribed in the case of a weight for the purpose of section 4(6) of the Act (which relates to periods of validity of certificates of fitness of local standards) running from the date of issue of the certificate.
Michael Howard
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Department of Trade and Industry
29th September 1986
Regulation 2
Symbols and abbreviations of units of weight | |||
---|---|---|---|
Imperial | Metric | ||
pound | lb | kilogram | kg |
ounce | oz | gram | g |
milligram | mg | ||
carat (metric) | C.M. |
Regulations 7, 8
Limit of error in milligrams | ||
---|---|---|
Local or working standards of- | Local standard | Working standard |
56 lb | 400 | 1250 |
28 lb | 200 | 650 |
14 lb | 100 | 320 |
7 lb | 50 | 160 |
4 lb | 30 | 90 |
2 lb | 15 | 45 |
1 lb | 7 | 20 |
8 oz | 3 | 10 |
4 oz | 2 | 6 |
2 oz | 1 | 3 |
1 oz | 0.8 | 2.5 |
1/2 oz | 0.7 | 2 |
1/4 oz | 0.5 | 1.5 |
1/8 oz | 0.5 | 1.5 |
1/16 oz | 0.4 | 1.2 |
1/32 oz | 0.3 | 1 |
50 lb | 350 | 1100 |
20 lb | 150 | 450 |
10 lb | 70 | 220 |
5 lb | 35 | 110 |
Local standard of- | Limit of error in milligrams |
---|---|
100 | 0.53 |
50 | 0.44 |
30 | 0.40 |
20 | 0.33 |
10 | 0.27 |
5 | 0.22 |
3 | 0.20 |
2 | 0.17 |
1 | 0.13 |
0.5 | 0.11 |
0.3 | 0.10 |
0.2 | 0.09 |
0.1 | 0.06 |
0.05 | 0.06 |
0.03 | 0.06 |
0.02 | 0.06 |
0.01 | 0.06 |
Local standard of ounces troy- | Limit of error in milligrams |
---|---|
500 | 250 |
400 | 200 |
300 | 150 |
200 | 100 |
100 | 50 |
50 | 25 |
40 | 20 |
30 | 15 |
20 | 10 |
10 | 5 |
5 | 2.5 |
4 | 2.0 |
3 | 1.5 |
2 | 1.0 |
1 | 1.0 |
0.5 | 0.7 |
0.4 | 0.6 |
0.3 | 0.6 |
0.2 | 0.5 |
0.1 | 0.4 |
0.05 | 0.4 |
0.04 | 0.3 |
0.03 | 0.3 |
0.025 | 0.3 |
0.02 | 0.25 |
0.01 | 0.22 |
0.005 | 0.18 |
0.004 | 0.16 |
0.003 | 0.15 |
0.002 | 0.13 |
0.001 | 0.11 |
Limit of error in milligrams | ||
---|---|---|
Local or working standards of- | Local standard | Working standard |
20 kg | 300 | 1000 |
10 kg | 150 | 500 |
5 kg | 75 | 250 |
2 kg | 30 | 100 |
1 kg | 15 | 50 |
500 g | 7.5 | 25 |
200 g | 3.0 | 10 |
100 g | 1.5 | 5 |
50 g | 1.0 | 3 |
20 g | 0.8 | 2.5 |
15 g | 0.7 | 2.2 |
10 g | 0.6 | 2.0 |
5 g | 0.5 | 1.5 |
4 g | 0.5 | 1.5 |
3 g | 0.4 | 1.2 |
2 g | 0.4 | 1.2 |
1 g | 0.3 | 1.0 |
500 mg | 0.25 | 0.8 |
400 mg | 0.25 | 0.8 |
300 mg | 0.25 | 0.8 |
200 mg | 0.20 | 0.6 |
150 mg | 0.20 | 0.6 |
100 mg | 0.15 | 0.5 |
50 mg | 0.12 | 0.4 |
20 mg | 0.10 | 0.3 |
10 mg | 0.08 | 0.25 |
5 mg | 0.06 | 0.20 |
2 mg | 0.06 | 0.20 |
1 mg | 0.06 | 0.20 |
Local standard of- C.M. | Limit of error in milligrams |
---|---|
500 | 1.5 |
200 | 0.93 |
100 | 0.80 |
50 | 0.60 |
20 | 0.47 |
10 | 0.40 |
5 | 0.30 |
2 | 0.23 |
1 | 0.20 |
0.5 | 0.15 |
0.25 | 0.12 |
0.20 | 0.11 |
0.10 | 0.10 |
0.05 | 0.08 |
0.02 | 0.06 |
0.01 | 0.06 |
Imperial weight | Limit of error | Metric weight | Limit of error |
---|---|---|---|
11200 lb | 500 g | ||
4480 lb | 200 g | 5000 kg | 500 g |
2240 lb | 100 g | 2000 kg | 200 g |
1120 lb | 50 g | 1000 kg | 100 g |
1008 lb | 50 g | 500 kg | 50 g |
560 lb | 20 g | 250 kg | 20 g |
448 lb | 20 g | 200 kg | 20 g |
224 lb | 10 g | 100 kg | 10 g |
112 lb | 5 g | 50 kg | 5 g |
These Regulations replace the Weights and Measures (Local and Working Standard Weights and Testing Equipment) Regulations 1983. They prescribe the methods of testing and adjusting, and the limits of error for, working standard weights and certain testing equipment used for weighing by inspectors of weights and measures. They also make provision for limits of error for local standard weights and for the period of validity of certificates of fitness of those local standards.
The Regulations make the following changes of substance:
(a)test weights may be tested by either the method of substitution or the method of comparison (previously by substitution only) (Regulation 5);
(b)testing equipment consisting of weighing machines shall be tested for repeatability and for discrimination threshold within six months before use (previously 12 months) (Regulation 6);
(c)the requirements for testing equipment consisting of weighing machines have been changed so that the inspector has a wider choice, provided requirements as to repeatability and discrimination threshold are met (previously the minimum sensitiveness for balances, beamscales and platform machines was prescribed) (Regulation 7); and
(d)the prescribed limits of error for test weights in excess of 56 lb or 20 kg are doubled (Regulation 8 and Schedule 2, Table 6).