Trading Standards - Weights & Measures
Trading Standards are responsible for enforcing legislation controlling how products are sold, and the equipment used to determine the quantity.All weighing and measuring equipment used for trade must be tested and passed as fit for trade before it can be used. All equipment will bear a mark to show it has been tested and some of these are visible to consumers, for example the stamp on a pint glass. Many marks, however, are not readily visible to consumers.
During routine inspections we test the equipment to ensure it is still accurate. This ensures that consumers do receive the correct weight, volume, length or number they are charged for.
It is generally prohibited to sell short measure goods and checks are made during inspections to ensure packages do contain the amount they claim to.
We also offer the service of testing weights and measures equipment and weights for traders. Although not all equipment needs to be tested it may still be vital that they are accurate, for example for weighing ingredients in a food factory.
Road Traffic
The enforcement of the Road Traffic Act seeks to ensure that overloaded vehicles are not used on our roads. Checks are conducted periodically in association with other agencies including police, VOSA, Customs and the Benefits Agency and vehicles suspected of being overweight are taken to the nearest weighbridge.
Overloaded vehicles take longer to stop, have reduced steering ability, increased risk of tyre blowouts and cause damage to road surfaces.
Overloaded vehicles may be prohibited from movement until sufficient load is removed and depending on the circumstances both the driver and owner of the vehicle may be prosecuted.
We carry out garage forecourt inspection on vehicles and also on any vehicles for sale at the roadside. These inspections are done in conjunction with VOSA in order to ascertain the vehicles’ roadworthiness.
This enforcement aims to improve road safety and maintain a fair trading environment for all business.
