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| Oregon observes National Weights and Measures Week | ||
| 02/23/2011 | ||
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Consumers benefit from ODA inspection "Each year in Oregon, as much as $80 billion of goods make their way across more than 54,000 weighing and measuring devices that we license and test for accuracy," says Jason Barber, administrator of ODA's Measurement Standards Division. "In many cases, more than half a family's income is spent on items sold by weight, measure, or count." On March 2, 1799, President John Adams signed the nation's first weights and measures law. It may surprise consumers that weights and measures programs are part of departments of agriculture. Historically, commodities like wheat, corn, and cattle were sold by weight or measure, so inspection programs were placed with other regulatory agricultural programs. Today, many items in commercial transactions are non-agricultural, but the inspection programs remain in state agriculture departments. The devices used in commercial transactions have become incredibly sophisticated, but highly trained inspectors are able to offer expertise ranging from software security to motor fuel chemistry. The systematic efforts of ODA's inspectors maintain a great amount of trust in the marketplace. "It's not uncommon for our inspectors to get thanked in the grocery store or at the gas station by the public and by businesses," says Barber. "But I'm sure a lot of people would be amazed to find out that someone is out there doing the inspection in the first place to essentially prevent consumer fraud." Purchases at grocery stores rely on accurate check stand scales. ODA inspectors annually check approximately 17,000 scales in Oregon that weigh produce, meat, seafood, and many other items. ODA inspectors also test gas pump meters and administers the motor fuel quality program. With gas prices continually moving upward, the importance of testing the pumps has never been higher. "There are more than 28,000 motor fuel dispensers in the state, and we will check the majority of them over 12 months and test for accuracy," says Barber. "When people go to the pump, they can rest assured that, in most cases, if they pay for 10 or 20 gallons of fuel, they will actually get that amount." ODA's experience is that most devices operate correctly. Occasionally, some may need adjustment, but the large majority of retailers in Oregon are selling an accurate measure of goods. When there are problems, it doesn't necessarily hurt the consumer. "It's not a given that the consumer is always the victim when devices are off," says Barber. "In many instances, the business may be giving away too much product. You can imagine that after we test 36 fuel dispensers at a retail gas station, and the owner finds out eight of them have been giving away too much fuel, that could add up to thousands of dollars in losses. We're not only doing consumer protection work, but in most cases, the businesses we inspect also like to see us show up." Honest retailers who are trying to compete in the marketplace appreciate the fact that the business down the street is also going to be inspected for accurate devices. The goal is to make sure everyone is on a level playing field and not gaining an advantage by shorting the customer. Oregonians may be surprised to learn about other devices being inspected by ODA. Inspectors conduct annual certification of the belt-conveyor scale systems used in the Port of Portland. As an example of this activity's importance, millions of pounds of potash are exported yearly across these belt-conveyor scales. The certification of these scale systems helps Oregonians market their products. Inspectors work closely with Oregon's agriculture industry, examining farm produce scales, grain elevator scales, livestock scales, truck scales, railroad scales, and automatic bulk weighing systems to assure Oregon products are accurately weighed. ODA also works closely with Oregon's seafood processing and distribution industry to conduct annual certification of scales and automatic bulk weighing systems to assure the accuracy of product being weighed. Last year, to ensure consumers were getting paid fairly for what they were selling, ODA inspectors targeted all licensed pawn shops and gold dealers in Oregon who rely on a scale to measure the weight of the precious metal. ODA found 30 without legal-for-trade or licensed scales. ODA inspectors rely on consumers to play an important role in the marketplace. "When you buy anything by weight or measure, the device measuring that item should read zero before it starts," says Barber. "When you go to the gas pump, before they start pumping gasoline, the meter should read zero. Before produce is weighed at the grocery store, the scale should read zero. If it doesn't, you will end up paying for not only that product, but also the product that was already registered on the meter or scale. If the meter or scale does not read zero to start with, tell the attendant or cashier." Be aware. Watch the check stand register. Watch the gas pump. Keep track of what's going on. If you have questions or concerns, bring them up with the retailer. If you aren't satisfied with their response, contact ODA's Measurement Standards Division at (503) 986-4670 or e-mail to <msd-info@oda.state.or.us>. Consumers can also go to the division's web page to file general consumer complaints or fuel complaints online. Next time you go to a grocery store or fill up at a gas station, remember that someone at ODA's Measurement Standards Division has been watching out for you. For more information, contact Jason Barber at (503) 986-4767. Story of the Week pdf version http://oregon.gov/ODA/docs/pdf/news/110223weights_week.pdf Audio Story of the Week http://oregon.gov/ODA/news/110223weights_week_audio.shtml |
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