Weights and Measures: Balancing the Marketplace

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Feb. 23, 2011) – Every day, Marylanders decide what to buy – groceries or gas, home heating oil or a piece of jewelry, firewood or mulch.  These diverse purchasing decisions have one common thread: Maryland Department of Agriculture staff inspects the accuracy of weighing and measuring devices. This year’s observance of Weights and Measures Week will commemorate the 212th anniversary of the signing of the first weights and measures law in the United States on March 2, 1799.

“Governor Martin O’Malley has issued a proclamation for Weights and Measures Week to raise awareness about the important role state government officials at the Department of Agriculture have in assuring that consumers and businesses have a level playing field in the marketplace,” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. “People should be aware that there are regulations we are trying to maintain and protect that ensure fairness in commercial transactions involving anything sold by weight, measure or count.”

MDA’s Weights and Measures inspectors test many different types of weighing and measuring devices including scales, price scanning equipment, gasoline pumps, meters to measure home fuel oil deliveries and highway truck scales. An important part of their job is to randomly check packaged goods to make sure they contain the quantity printed on the label. Inspectors also investigate consumer complaints that have ranged from common gas pump grievances to the number of BBs in a box of ammunition.

Our inspectors keep pace with rapidly advancing technologies to ensure fairness in the marketplace. Business sectors currently use the most recent advancements in technology to determine quantities. Cutting-edge weighing and measuring equipment is also used by everyday places such as supermarkets and gasoline stations. “New innovations are being used more than ever, so it’s extremely important that consumers and businesses are protected,” said Weights and Measures Chief Ken Ramsburg.

In Fiscal Year 2010, field staff conducted more than 42,000 inspections of commercial weighing and measuring devices, inspected and tested more than 11,700 individual lots of prepackaged commodities (representing approximately 126,000 packages) offered for sale, and investigated more than 460 consumer complaints. Price verification inspections were conducted at 65 non food stores. Inspectors found significant deviations from the advertised prices in a number of stores. Nine firms received civil penalties for misrepresenting unit price violations. In Fiscal Year 2010, Weights and Measures imposed $82,500 in civil penalties for violations.

Weights and Measures Week provides an opportunity to educate consumers, businesses and lawmakers about the quiet but systematic effort of the state and local weights and measures officials who have instilled so much trust in our marketplace. Americans seldom question the quantity statement on a package, the scale at a check stand, or the gallons they put into their cars and even fewer would know who is responsible for instilling that confidence.

For more information on the Weights and Measures Program in Maryland, or if you think the “cord” of firewood delivered to your home is a short measure, the gasoline pump at the corner station is incorrect, or the weight or measure of any product you purchased is incorrect and you cannot get the seller to resolve the problem, contact the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures Section, 50 Harry S Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD  21401, (410) 841-5790.  Click here for more information about Maryland Weights and Measures.