Finance and Administration Services - Consumer Affairs

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Consumer Affairs Unit

Taxicab Regulatory Program

For-Hire Vehicle Regulatory Program

Seattle Weights & Measures Program

SPD Impound Agreement (Public Impounds requested by Seattle Police Department)

Limousine Enforcement Program

Consumer Protection

Private Impounds (Private impounds requested by citizens or businesses)

Consumer Affairs

Scale Inspection Program

Weighing device or "scale" inspections are conducted annually. The inspections are announced in order to increase their effectiveness in improving compliance with code requirements. All scales must be inspected if used commercially. This includes checkweighers. A paper seal is affixed to the scale - visible to the customer - if the scale accuracy is within tolerance.

Scale Inspections 2008
Capacity	Inspected
<30 lbs.	2,162
31 - 1,000 lbs.	487
>1,000 lbs.	170
Total	2,817

Applicable Laws:

Washington:

Revised Code of Washington (RCW), Chapter 19.94 "Weights and Measures - 1969 Act"

Seattle:

Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) Chapter 7.04 - "Weights and Measures Code"

Applicable Standards:

NIST

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Handbook 44 Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices (1997), Section 2.20 "Scales"

NCWM

National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) Publication 3 2nd ed. Policy, Interpretations, and Guidelines, Section 3 "Specifications, Tolerances and Device Inspections"

National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) Publication 12 Examination Procedure Outlines for Weighing and Measuring Devices (December 1991)

State weights and measures inspectors test truck scales. These tests require special equipment.

Scales are inspected to insure that they are accurate for the services in which they are used, installed properly, and positioned so that customers can see the display. Accuracy tests include: (1) increasing and decreasing load tests, (2) shift tests, (3) zero return, and (4) repeatability.

Scale Types and Applications (Typical)
Type	Applications	Capacity	Divisions
electronic computing	grocery, deli, candy	<30 lbs.	0.01 lbs.
counter scale (mechanical)	production, wholesale, postal, prepackaged goods	<100 lbs.	0.5 oz.
portable scale (e.g. beam with counterweight)	manufacturing, recycling	<1,000 lbs.	4 oz.
dormant scale (permanently installed)	manufacturing, wholesale, shipping, moving and storage	<10,000 lbs.	1 - 5 lbs.

Tolerances (most retail use)
Scale Divisions	Error Allowed
0-500	± 1 division
501 - 2,000	± 2
2,001 - 4,000	± 3
> 4,000	± 4

Device Registration Program
Device	Registration Fee
small scale (<400 lbs.)	$5.00 annually
intermediate scale (401 - 5,000 lbs.)	$20.00
large scale (>5,000 lbs.)	$52.00