• Email
• Rate this Page
• Suggest a Link
• Print this Page
• Subscribe
• Find a Person
• Transparency Portal
• QR Code
• Help

List of sub-sites Home
• Weights and Measures
• City and County Inspectors
• Forms
• Gas Stop Sale Order Information
• Laws and Regulations
• Program Information, Policies and Guidance
• Reports

Weights and Measures Annual Report for 2010-2011

The Division of Weights and Measures primary responsibility is to protect the citizens and merchants of Indiana through numerous and varied enforcement activities. The delivery of proper weight and measure and the elimination of fraud and misrepresentation in commercial transaction have been the objectives of this Division since its inception in March 1911.

Weights and Measures inspectors protect both the buyers and sellers interest by providing equity in the marketplace. Inspectors examine and test with State certified standards every weighing and measuring device used commercially in the State of Indiana. In addition, inspectors checkweigh various prepackaged commodities, review commodity labels for compliance, motor fuel quality testing and metrology calibrations. They also investigate consumer complaints about shortages or unfair practices and educate the buyer and seller generally as to their rights provided by the Indiana Weights and Measures Laws.

The following sections describe the program areas within the Division of Weights and Measures.

The County and City Inspectors Program: Counties with a population of 30,000 or more shall have the authority to have a weights and measures inspection program. The City may provide if the population is 20,000 or more. There are a total of 54 local County and City jurisdictions in the State of Indiana. The State Division has jurisdiction over all inspections in the other 40 counties.

Device Inspections of all commercially- used weighing and measuring devices within the State are performed by (82) State and Local Weights and Measures Inspectors. A total of 116,317

Weighing and Measuring devices were inspected in 2010-2011with a rejection rate of 6.4 percent. The basis and statutory authority for all inspection activities are found in the Indiana Weights and Measures law IC 24-6-3-2.

Motor Fuel Inspection Program quality sampling is the method by which the program annually collects samples of petroleum products for quality analysis by State or private laboratory. Sampling is conducted to determine octane rating, volatility and water content of petroleum products as well as to determine the presence of oxygenates such as ethanol. A total of 1,661 gasoline samples were inspected this year and a total of (38) stop sale orders for water or wrong octane labeling on the pump. When a stop-sale order is issued, the service station owner can either stop dispensing the mislabeled gasoline or relabel the gasoline dispenser to reflect the true octane rating. If the owner refuses to do either, the inspector will padlock rejected gasoline dispensers that are in violation of Indiana State law.

Prepackaged Goods Inspections are conducted at regular unannounced intervals by the Division. Prepackaged commodities such as store –packaged meats, delicatessen items, specialty coffee, bulk foods, milk, candies and motor oil are inspected to ensure the accuracy of the labeled net quantity statement. Consumer only pays for the net weight of the product, not the packaging material. A total of 153,619 package inspections were performed and 7,044 were short net weight. Therefore, the retail store will re-weigh all short net weight products before they could offer the product for sale.

The Metrology Laboratory maintains custody and safekeeping of the Indiana primary standards of mass, volume, length, time and temperature. These are standards to which all other standards and testing equipment are compared to the NIST Standards. The Indiana laboratory is recognized by the United States Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology or NIST and National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program or NVLAP.

The Laboratory provides measurement services for enforcement of weights and measures regulations in the legal metrology by testing and calibrating all working standards used by the State and Local weights and measures inspectors. It also provides services for Indiana's business, industry, and government agencies in metrology standards by testing and calibrating working standards used in trade, commerce and manufacturing. The calibration of the standards and testing equipment used by State and Local weights and measures inspectors are tested every two years. The calibration of a service company standards and testing equipment is performed once a year. In fiscal year 2010-2011, a total of 8,764 industrial and commercial weighing and measuring devices were tested with a rejection rate of 6.5 percent.

Indiana is the sixth State Metrology Laboratory in the Nation to become certified under NIST National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) in January 2001. NVLAP certification establishes a traceable link to international weights and measures standards as required by ISO-9000 and ISO Guide 17025. This is vitally important to Indiana companies doing federal contact work to the scientific pharmaceutical and automobile industries that sell their products internationally to maintain NVLAP Certification.

The laboratory has established a continuous process of quality maintenance and improvement that has enabled it to grow in professional stature and to offer improved services in responding to Indiana industry calibration needs as well as the support of trade and equity in the marketplace.

Sincerely,

Larry J. Stump, Director
Division of Weights and Measures
lstump@isdh.in.gov

ANNUAL REPORT JUNE 16, 2010 TO JUNE 15, 2011

INDIANA STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
DIVISION OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

Number of Fines: 11

Fines Paid: $5500.00

Motor Fuel Stop-sale Orders: 38

• Indiana Death Registration System (IDRS)
• Indiana Immunization Registry
• Food Protection Complaint Form
• MyVaxIndiana
• Nurse Aide Registry
• Radiography License Renewal
• Forms.IN.gov

More Online Services »

Stay Connected

1. Apply for a Birth/Death Certificate
2. Register for the IDRS
3. Quit smoking
4. Find information on recent food recalls
5. Get a Flu Shot

• Text Reader
• Mobile
• Find a Person
• Find an Agency
• IN.gov User Survey
• Advanced Search

• Businesses
• Kids
• Local Government
• Residents
• State Employees
• Vendors & Lobbyists
• Visitors

• Help
• Newsroom
• Transparency
• Policies
• Sitemap
• Web Awards
• 1-317-233-1325