Inside this Issue

OWM Welcomes Clark Cooney 1

Principal Display Panels on Random

Packages 2

Event Calendar 2

Outreach - OWM Reaches Out

to Maryland Middle School 3

1

Volume 5 Issue 5

June 18, 2014

REMINDER

THE 99TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

ANNUAL MEETING

July 13 - 17, 2014

The 2014 Annual Meeting will take place in

Detroit, Michigan. Early Bird registration

closes June 20, 2014. Information can be obtained on the NCWM website at

http://www.ncwm.net. Register today and

share your valuable experience and knowlege

with the membership. Federal, state, county,

and industry participation is welcome.

Contact: (402) 343-4880 or

info@ncwm.net

OWM Welcomes 

Clark Cooney

Mr. Clark Cooney joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology,

Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) team in the Legal Metrology Devices

Program on May 19, 2014. 

Clark retired from the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), Weights

and Measures Program, on July 1, 2013, after 27 years of service. When

Clark started as a new inspector with ODA Weights and Measures Division,

he conducted examinations on small, medium, and heavy capacity scales including jewelry, grocery, warehouse, livestock, vehicle, and railroad scales;

metering systems including retail motor-fuel dispensers (RMFD), vehicletank meters (VTM), and wholesale “loading rack” meters; liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) retail “bottle fill” and vehicle mounted meters; and packaged

product examinations. Clark also completed a NIST LPG Train-the-Trainer

course and conducted LPG meter examination training. Throughout his career with ODA Weights and Measures, he was an integral part of their entire

training program. 

Clark also brings with him extensive experience in fuel quality regulation.

From the mid 1990s until his retirement, Clark worked with consumers, automobile manufacturer representatives, biofuel (ethanol and biodiesel) representatives, and retail and wholesale petroleum fuel representatives to

draft regulations implementing the state’s fuel quality laws. In addition, Clark

continually worked with these same groups and other interested parties to

amend the administrative rules to adopt updated versions of the NIST Handbooks 44, “Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements for

Weighing and Measuring Devices,” sections of Handbook 130, “Uniform

Laws and Regulations in the Areas of Legal Metrology and Engine Fuel Quality,” and Handbook 133, “Checking the Net Contents of Packaged Goods.” 

Furthermore, Clark served on the Western Weights and Measures Association (WWMA) Specification and Tolerances (S&T) Committee for six years

and chaired it twice; the National Conference on Weights and Measures

(NCWM) S&T Committee for five years serving as its Chair, and he was the

WWMA President in 2003. From his start, Clark’s responsibilities and titles

Employee Highlight

OFFICE OF WEIGHTS AND

MEASURES

General Inquries: (301) 975-4004; e-mail:

owm@nist.gov

Office Chief, Carol Hockert: e-mail:

carol.hockert@nist.gov

Newsletter Editor: Linda Crown; (301) 975-

3998; e-mail: linda.crown@nist.gov
W&M Connection 2 Volume 5 Issue 5

Calendar 2014

Registration for training in the NIST Office of

Weights and Measures is handled by Yvonne

Branden at yvonne.branden@nist.gov.

Course descriptions can be viewed on the Office of Weights and Measures website at

http://www.nist.gov/pml/wmd/calendar.cfm

and clicking on the name of the course. 

June 24 - 26 (3 days)

OIML TC 7/SC 4 Meeting

NIST

Gaithersburg, MD

June 25 - 26 (2 days)

HB 130 - Price Verification

Class No. 5325

Hartford, CT

July 8 - 10 (3 days)

Livestock and Animal Scales

Class No. 5286

Hartford, CT

July 13 - 17 (5 days)

National Conference on Weights and Measures - Annual Meeting

Detroit, MI

Contact: info@ncwm.net 

July 28 - 31 (4 days)

NCSL International Conference 2014

Measurement Science and the Environment

Orlando, FL

Contact: info@ncsli.org

August 11 - 15 (5 days)

HB 133, Basic - Checking the Net Contents of

Packaged Goods

Class No. 5313

Little Rock, AR

August 14

Webinar - Calibration Certificate Evaluation

2:00 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Class No. 5292

August 18 - 22 (5 days)

Volume Metrology Seminar

Class No. 5293

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD 

August 20 - 21 (2 days)

NTEP Grain Analyzer Sector Meeting

Kansas City, MO

Contact: info@ncwm.net

August 21

Webinar - Contract Review

2:00 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Class No. 5301 

August 26 - 28 (3 days)

NTEP Joint Meeting of: Weighing Sector

(Aug. 26 - 27) (2 days) & Software Sector

(Aug. 27 - 28) (2 days) - Atlanta, GA 

Contact: info@ncwm.net 

(con’d pg 3)

Principal Display Panels on Random Packages

Byline: Lisa Warfield

NIST Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) has received inquiries from several states as to whether a Principal Display Panel (PDP) on random weight

packages must always be displayed so that the PDP faces consumers. In NIST

Handbook 130, “Uniform Laws and Regulations in the Areas of Legal Metrology and Engine Fuel Quality,” Packaging and Labeling Regulations are identical

to the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA). They define what a principal

display panel is but do not address any requirements as to how the PDP is to

be displayed to the consumer. 

NIST Handbook 130, Uniform Packaging and Labeling Regulation, Section 2.7.

Principal Display Panel or Panels defines the PDP as: 

“That part, or those parts, of a label that is, or are, so designed as to most likely be displayed, presented, shown, or

examined under normal and customary conditions of display

and purchase. Wherever a principal display panel appears

more than once on a package, all requirements pertaining

to the “principal display panel” shall pertain to all such “principal display panels.” 

If the label on a random weight package meets the following criteria in Section 11.1. Random Packages, it would be considered the “label” that a consumer would use in part of the decision to make a purchase.

Handbook 130, Section 11. Exemptions and Section 11.1. Random Packages

states the following: 

“A random package bearing a label conspicuously declaring:

(a) the net weight;

(b) unit price; and

(c) the total price

shall be exempt from the SI units, type size, location, and free

area requirements of this regulation. In the case of a random

package packed at one place for subsequent sale at another,

neither the price per unit of weight nor the total selling price

within the ODA Weights and Measures Program expanded from Inspector to

Program Coordinator, Assistant Administrator, and finally Program Manager. 

As part of the NIST/OWM team, Clark will be serving as a NIST Technical Advisor on the NCWM S&T Committee, and on the NTEP Measuring Sector. As

you can see, Clark brings a wealth of personal and professional life experiences to the NIST Office of Weights and Measures and the weights and measures community as a whole. Welcome aboard Clark!
W&M Connection 3 Volume 5 Issue 5

August 28

Webinar - Document Control and Record

Keeping

2:00 p.m. - 4 00 p.m.

Class No. 5299

September 8 - 11 (4 days)

Central Weights and Measures Association

(CWMA) Interim Meeting

St. Charles, MO

Contact: info@ncwm.net

September 8 - 19 (2 weeks)

Mass Metrology Seminar

Class No. 5297

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

September 14 - 18 (5 days)

Western Weights and Measures Association 

(WWMA) Annual Meeting

Portland, OR

Contact: www.westernwma.org

September 18 

NIST Training at the Western Weights and

Measures Association (WWMA) Annual

Meeting - Evaluating Performance, Learning

Objectives, and Training Effectiveness for

Managers

Class No. 5328

Portland, OR

October 3 - 4 (2 days)

NTEP Measuring Sector Meeting

Raleigh, NC

Contact: info@ncwm.net

October 4 - 8 (5 days)

Southern Weights and Measures Association

(SWMA) Annual Meeting

Raleigh, NC

Contact: info@ncwm.net 

October 5

NIST Training at the Southern Weights and

Measures Association (SWMA) Annual

Meeting

Evaluating Performance, Learning Objectives, and Training Effectiveness for Managers

Class # 5327

Raleigh, NC

October 15 - 16 (2 days)

Northeastern Weights and Measures Association (NEWMA) Interim Meeting

Norwich, CT

Contact: info@ncwm.net

October 19 - 23 (5 days)

Combined Regional Measurement Assurance Program*

Class No. 5157

St. Louis, MO

(con’d pg 4)

need appear on the package, provided the package label includes both such prices at the time it is offered or exposed

for sale at retail.

This section shall also apply to uniform weight packages of

fresh fruit or vegetables labeled by count, in the same manner and by the same type of equipment as random packages

exempted by this section, and cheese and cheese products

labeled in the same manner and by the same type of equipment as random packages exempted by this section.”

There are many occasions when random weight labels are placed on the bottom of packages, so when a product is run across the scanner at checkout it

does not need to be turned over, which would destroy the packaged product

(e.g., cakes, cupcakes). On cheese blocks, labels are placed on the bottom to

avoid covering up additional information on the primary label that would also

assist the consumer (i.e., type of cheese or properties of cheese).

Overall, the PDP is needed to provide the consumer with information as to

what they are purchasing, the quantity being purchased, and the total price.

This information should be clear and conspicuous to consumers, but they may

need to pick up the product to examine the label for this information. There

is no requirement in the UPLR that a store must have this information physically placed in a manner where the label is in direct view of a consumer at all

times.

For more information on the subject contact: The OWM, Laws and Metric

Program, (301) 975-4004.

Outreach

OWM Reaches Out to Maryland Middle

School

Byline: Elizabeth Gentry 

On May 15, 2014, two staff members from the National Institute of Standards

and Technology (NIST) Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) traveled to

Ellicott City, Maryland, to participate in the Science Technology, Engineering,

and Mathematics (STEM) Night at Folly Quarter Middle School. This was the

second year for OWM to participate in this outreach event organized by Ms.

Sherri Capurso, Science Team Leader, to promote careers in STEM. Ms. Capurso first learned about the OWM education outreach efforts when she attended the NIST Summer Institute for Middle School Science Teacher Institute

(http://www.nist.gov/iaao/teachlearn/). Ms. Capurso mentioned that Folly

Quarter is considering adding a second fair during the fall semester to provide

additional opportunities for students to explore STEM.

The heavy thunderstorms may have played a factor in the overall event attendance; however, there were had quality interactions with about 20 students and 15 parents during the event. The NIST exhibit consisted of several
Have a Safe 

and 

Happy 4th!

W&M Connection 4 Volume 5 Issue 5

October 22 - 24 (3 days)

HB 130 - Packaging and Labeling

Class No. 5323

Fort Worth, TX

November 3 - 7 (5 days)

Fundamentals of Metrology

Class No. 5309

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

November 4 - 7 (4 days)

HB 130 - Packing and Labeling

Class No. 5324

Lake Mary, FL

2015

January 18 - 21

National Conference on Weights and Measures Interim Meeting

Daytona Beach, FL

Contact: info@ncwm.net

January 26 - 30 (5 days)

Fundamentals of Metrology

Class No. 5329

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

February 12

Webinar - Conducting an Effective Management Review

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Class No. 5295

February 26

Webinar - Internal Auditing Best Practices

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Class No. 5296

March 16 - 27 (2 weeks)

Mass Metrology Seminar

Class No. 5333

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

July 19 - 23

NCSL International Conference 2015

Metrology and the Quality of Life

Orlando, FL

Information: www.ncsli.org

August 30

Webinar - Contract Review

2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Class No. 5334

*Invitation Only

**Limited to State Laboratory Program Participants

hands-on activities and the distribution of education publications, which included information on the NIST SHIP (high school internship)

and SURF (college research fellowship) summer programs. OWM team collaborated with

Mr. Vernon Alt, Jr. (Northrop Grumman), who

is currently the NCSL International Vice President for Learning and Development and an enthusiastic Metrology Ambassador. Mr. Alt’s

demonstration illustrated the linear coefficient

of expansion and the impact temperature has

on a wide variety of materials used in metrology and manufacturing applications. The NIST,

OWM and the National Oceanic Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) exhibits were located

next to each other making the U.S. Department of Commerce well represented at this event!

Attendees were able to participate in the following activities:

Vernier Lab Quest and Sound Meter – A

hands-on activity where students measure

the sounds made by toys to become familiar

with decibel (dB) measurement units and

learn the importance of maintaining personal

safety (especially hearing) in all career fields

and in everyday life.

Cubic Centimeter Math Manipulatives – A

hands-on activity where students measure

cubic centimeter blocks to become more familiar with length, area, volume, and mass.

Create a Liter Cube – A-hands-on activity where students decorate a cubic

decimeter (one liter) template and assemble it into a box to increase their familiarity with one liter (1000 milliliter)

quantities.

Vernon Alt, Jr. demonstrating metrology concepts.

Elizabeth Gentry distributing

measurement resources.

Tina Butcher sharing STEM career information with Folly Quarter parent.

Pictures provided by staff.