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Every time a consumer purchases a product based on weight, measure, or count (a pound of apples, a gallon of gasoline, or load of gravel) that consumer is using a weighing or measuring device that has been certified as accurate by the Weights and Measures Division. The primary function of this unit is to ensure equality in all commercial transactions involving quantity. The weights and measures official stands between the seller and buyer to see that the interest of both is safeguarded.

Example: Small, seemingly insignificant errors can add up. For example, assume a scale used for weighing meat is incorrect by 0.01 pound and suppose that all the meat was only $4.00 per pound. If this is in a large supermarket and almost 200 pounds of meat are sold per day, then this would result in an error of $2,920 per year. This could be in favor of the supermarket or in favor of the customers. It is our job to try and make the scale as accurate as possible so that neither the customers nor the supermarket is cheated.

The Light Weights and Measures Inspectors may be found at any given time of the day testing weighing and measuring devices such as supermarket scales, gasolinepumps, feed and fertilizer scales, and universal price code scanners for accuracy.

They also check pre-packaged commodities used or consumed in Alabama for accurate weight, measure, or count. (Click here for list of established commodity weights.) Samples are pulled in retail stores, packaging plants, warehouses, feed, seed, and fertilizer stores. Using statistical methods these packages are checked to ensure that the packages are labeled correctly and the net weight of the package is correct. Of the millions of packages checked each year, approximately 1% or 1.5% are found to be in error. The inspector makes sure the packages are removed from sale and corrections are made, or the packages are returned to the distributor.

When illegal or inaccurate devices are found, the weights and measures officials (light and heavy) ensure that the equipment is repaired or replaced by condemning the device and placing a red tag on it. The device cannot be used again until the device is repaired and a registered serviceman removes the red tag.

Under the registered serviceman regulation of the department, 505 scale and gasoline pump serviceman were registered. This registration allows licensed and certified servicemen to place a condemned device back in service provided the error is corrected to legal specifications and tolerances.