What Is A Trade Approved Scale & Do I Need One?
WHAT ARE TRADE APPROVED SCALES?
Is your business in, well, the business of packaging or selling goods by weight? If so, then regular scales just won’t cut it. New Zealand law requires that any business doing so use scales that have undergone rigorous testing and approval processes to deem them fit for trade purposes.HOW ARE SCALES APPROVED FOR TRADE?
Waterproof, precision balance, and other weighing scales face a two-part process before they receive the tick of approval.
Firstly, the Trade Measurement Unit of New Zealand must find that the scale complies with weighing regulations governing trade transactions, at which point they grant the scale a unique TMU Number. From here, the scale must then be verified and stamped on an annual basis by an individual or business accredited by Trading Standards New Zealand in order to certify compliance in accordance with the Weights and Measures Act 1987 and Regulations.
In short, a scale approved for trade:
- Has undergone rigorous testing and received a unique TMU Number.
- Has received a certificate of approval and been stamped with a mark of verification by a Trading Standards Accredited Person/s.
- Has - optionally - applied for and received a Certificate of Accuracy.
WHAT OR WHO IS ‘TRADING STANDARDS’?
“Trading Standards administers and enforces trade measurement in New Zealand. In doing so we ensure that weighing & measuring equipment and all goods sold by weight, measure or number are accurate.” - Trading Standards New Zealand
Found within the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE), Trading Standards is a regulatory unit whose Trading Standards Offices administer and / or enforce the Weight and Measures Act and Regulations.
DO I NEED A TRADE APPROVED SCALE?
If your business packages or sells goods by weight, measure, or number, then you’re required under New Zealand law to use scales that have been approved for trade purposes. Failure to comply can leave your business open to fines, not to mention the risk of cutting into your margins as inaccurate scales see you giving away more product than is required.
ARE ‘APPROVED FOR TRADE’ SCALES EASY TO FIND?
Not all scales are created equal, that’s why Meltrons offers a wide selection of highly accurate, trade approved scales that fulfill your business’ weighing needs while ensuring you comply with the Weights and Measures Act and Regulations that govern trade transactions.
