We are responsible for:
- checking that the amounts and sizes of products bought and sold in Cardiff meet certain guidelines
- testing and approving the equipment used by traders to measure these products
- enforcing weights and measures legislation
- prohibiting the sale of short-measure goods
Many products are covered by weights and measures legislation, including:
- petrol by volume
- fruit, veg and meat by metric weight
- alcohol by volume
- freshly caught fish by weight
- javelins and shot-puts used for competitions
- animal height measuring instruments
- air pressure gauges
- wheelie bins
What the law says
- All weighing and measuring equipment used for trade has to be legally approved and tested before it can be used.
- All approved equipment is marked in some way (these marks may not always be visible to the general public). Examples include: the crown stamp on a beer glass, or stamped lead seals on a fuel tanker carrying heating oil.
- Since 2003 scales used to weigh and measure patients at hospitals and clinics, have been covered by weights and measures legislation and officers are now visiting sites to test weighing scales and babyweighers.
We have a
United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)Link opens in a new window accredited mass calibration laboratory where we test weights for industry and trade. We also test the working standards used by other trading standards authorities.
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