We Have a New Look!

Dear Readers,

Today isthe launch of the NIST Weights and Measures Division’s new

periodical Weights and Measures Connection. For many years, our

readers have faithfully read the Weight and Measures Quarterly

newsletter. Like most organizations today, we are reinventing ourselves by updating the design and objectives of our newsletter in an

attempt to bring you better and more timely topics in the field of

weights and measures.

In the past, the Weights and Measures Quarterly was published four

times a year with articles touching on laboratory metrology, devices,

package and labeling, training, breaking technologies, and an occasional human interest item. The newsletter had a tendency to get

rather long because we had so much information to share. The

Weights and Measures Division is breaking away from traditions established in our former newsletter by introducing our new look with

the goal to provide timely, useful information in smaller bites. The

NEW Weights and Measures Connection will contain fewer articles

per issue; however, it will be produced on a more frequent basis. This

will enable us to get the information to our readers, but also make it

easier for the reader to pick and choose what they wish to read.

The publication will still contain articles relative to the weights and

measures community, and a calendar of meetings and training op- portunities. We invite our readers to contact us with suggestions for

articles, questions on weights and measuresissues, and calendar no- tices. Article suggestions and feedback on our “new” look can be di- rected to the editor, Linda Crown at Linda.Crown@nist.gov.

Inside this Issue

Page

We Have a New Look 1

This Month in History 1

Package and Labeling Instruction

Training School 2

Calendar 2

This Month in

History

This month highlights President’s Day, which

falls on February 15th. This holiday has been

designated as President’s Day since 1971

when President Nixon combined Washington

and Lincoln’s birthdaysinto a single observed

holiday. The federal government celebrates

President’s Day on the third Monday in February granting all federal employees a threeday weekend holiday.

Prior to the combined holiday, Presidents Lincoln and Washington, each had their own

separate holidays. While President Lincoln’s

birthday on February 12th was not honored

as a federal holiday, many states recognized

the day and adopted it as a legal holiday.

President Washington’s birthday was February 22nd

. In 1968 Congressional legislation

changed the federal holiday to fall on a Monday to create a three-day weekend. Then

later in 1971 the official celebration of these

two great men in history as well asthose who

have served as president since are honored

on President’s Day.

1

Volume I Issue 1

February 1, 2010

Weights and Measures Week

March 1 - 7

Use this as an opportunity to educate the public!
Calendar 2010

February 24 - 25

NCWM - NTETC Belt-Coveyor Scale Sector

Meeting

March 1 - 12

Basic Metrology - States

March 2 - 3

NCWM - NTETC Software Sector Meeting

March 22 - 26

Measurement Science Conference

April 12 - 16

SEMAP

May 3 - 7

WRAP

May 10 - 13

Northeastern Weights & Measures Association - Annual Meeting

May 16 - 17

Central Weights & Measures Association

Annual Meeting

May 17 - 21

Basic Mass - Industry

June 22 - 26

Laboratory Administration Seminar

July 11 - 15

NCWM 95th Annual Meeting

July 25 - 29

NCSL International Workshop & Symposium

August 25 - 26

NCWM - NTETC Grain Analyzer Sector Meeting

August 31

NCWM - NTETC Weighing Sector Meeting

September 12 - 15

Central Weights & Measures Association

Interim Meeting

September 13 - 17

NEMAP

September 19 - 24

CIML 2010 Meeting

W&M Connection 2 Volume I Issue 1

Packaging and Labeling

Instructor Training

School

By David Sefcik

Instructor Training

On September 14 - 18, 2009, the Laws and Metric Group of the

Weights and Measures Division (WMD) hosted a week long instructor

training school at NIST’s Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus. Participants were provided specialized training on packaging and labeling

laws and regulations as outlined in NIST Handbook 130, Uniform Laws

and Regulations in the area of Legal Metrology and Engine Fuel Quality.

The school was attended by nine participants from around the country, which included state weights and measures officials from California, Maryland, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Industry

membersfrom Bureau Veritas, Procter and Gamble, and Walmart also

attended.

The classfocused on the Uniform Packaging and Labeling Regulations

(UPLR) asfound in NIST HB 130 for consumer and non-consumer packaging requirements; FDA and FTC requirements, and other federal

laws and regulations governing packaging and labeling as it pertains

to the declaration of identity, responsibility, and quantity. The class

consisted of classroom training, hands on examinations of products

in the marketplace, a review and study of recent court cases, and a

trip to a store to apply and re-enforce classroom training.

These instructors will take the training they received and use it to

teach other state officials with the goal of improving compliance in

the marketplace and protecting consumers and businesses. The industry participants will work toward better educating and training

their employees and suppliers to ensure labeling compliance on the

products they carry.

Current Inspection Practices

For many reasons, the inspection and enforcement of packaging and

labeling regulations has declined over the years. Most states inspect

net quantity compliance but may not inspect for declaration of identity, responsibility, and quantity. The reduction in enforcement has

proliferate into wide-spread abuse, whether intentional or due to lack

of industry’s knowledge, and education.

(continued page 3)
September 26 - 30

Western Weights & Measures Association

October 1 - 2

NCWM - NTETC Measuring Sector Meeting

October 3 - 6

Southern Weights & Measures Association

October 13 - 14

Northeastern Weights & Measures Association

Interim Meeting

Calendar 2011

January 23 - 26

NCWM 96th Interim Meeting

Additional details on the above calendar

items can be found at:

http://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/calendar3.cfm

W&M Connection 3 Volume 1 Issue 1

Recommendation

When checking packagesfor net quantity, weights and measuresinspectors

can include the checking and verification of the declaration of identity, responsibility, and quantity into existing inspection procedures. Inspectors

will find that once properly trained and experienced in the field, little

additional time and effort is required to perform a packaging and labeling check. This check may include but is not limited to assuring:

! Product identity is on the principal display panel (PDP) which

accurately describes the contents (not misleading or deceptive).

! A conspicuous declaration of responsibility is provided containing the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor (the street address can only be omitted if it is shown in a

current city telephone directory).

! The net quantity declaration consists of the proper location

(lower 30 % of PDP), size and style of type or lettering (based on

size of PDP), color contrast, unit of measure requirements, and

free area as outlined in the UPLR.

Upcoming Training Opportunities

WMD is planning two inspector training classes in 2010. One is tentatively planned for April in Nebraska, and the second is tentatively

scheduled for early summer in the northeastern region. We will be

announcing specific information regarding the classes to all state directors as soon as the information is available.

Any comments, questions, or concerns can be addressed to David Sefcik at dsefcik@nist.gov or 301-975-4868, or LIsa Warfield at

Lisa.Warfield@nist.gov or 301-975-3308.

In the Field

Is there a W&M topic that you would like to have appear in the

Weights and Measures Connection?

How can we better serve our W&M community?

Do you have a safety tidbit to share?

Do you have a W&M event that you wish to post in the Connection’s calendar?

Submissions can be sent to the Editor, Linda Crown at

Linda.Crown@nist.gov