Inside this Issue

County of Los Angles Agriculture Commission, Weights and Measures Hosts

a Handbook 130 Packaging and Labeling Class 1

Welcome to Minecraft Measurement

Units Video Challenge 2

Event Calendar 2

Plan Your Week of Webinar Training

Now! 3

Weights and Measures Historical Moment 3

1

Volume 5 Issue 4

May 15, 2014

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT THE TRAINING CALENDAR?

County of Los Angles Agriculture

Commission, 

Weights and Measures

Hosts a 

Handbook 130, Packaging and 

Labeling Class

A five day Packaging and Labeling class

was held in Arcadia, California, April 7 to

11, 2014. This five day class was taught

by Office of Weights and Measures’

(OWM) Laws and Metric Program staff

members Lisa Warfield and David Sefcik.

The class had 26 participants. 

The objective of the class was to teach

students how to interpret requirements

under Handbook 130, Uniform Laws and

Regulations in the Areas of Metrology

and Engine Fuel Quality, Uniform Packaging and Labeling Regulation (UPLR)

section. Students learned how to explain, demonstrate, and apply the UPLR

to everyday packaging of consumer and

non-consumer commodities, determine the appropriate method of sale for

various products, and recognize and evaluate various package labelings labelings in the marketplace.

This training is available to the states and can be requested through our office

(email: owm@nist.gov). You can also check the Calendar in this newsletter

or on the OWM website for other training opportunities that are currently

being offered. OWM’s website URL: http://www.nist.gov/pml/wmd/.

The Editor

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
W&M Connection 2 Volume 5 Issue 4

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. 

May 19 - 22 (4 days)

Central Weights and Measures Association

(CWMA) Annual Meeting

St. Louis, MO

Contact: Sherry Turvey at 

sherry.turvey@kda.ks.gov

May 22

NIST Training at the Central Weights and

Measures Association (CWMA) Annual Meeting - Evaluating Performance, Learning Objectives, and Training Effectiveness for Managers

Class No. 5310

St. Louis, MO

June 2

Webinar - NISTIR 6969 - SOP 8, Part 1

10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Class No. 5315

Webinar - Calibration Method Validation

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

Class No. 5317

June 2 - 6 (5 days)

Liquefied Petroleum Gas Liquid-Measuring

Devices Instructor Training

Class No. 5314

Las Cruces, NM

June 3

Webinar - NISTIR 7383 - SOP 18, Part 1

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Class No. 5319

June 3

Webinar - Software Verification and Validation

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

Class No. 5318

June 4

Webinar - OWM and NVLAP Application

(Submission) Processes

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Class No. 5330

Webinar - NISTIR 6969 - SOP 8, Part 2

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

Class No. 5316

June 5

Webinar - Conducting an Effective Management Review

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (cont’d on pg 3)

Welcome to the Minecraft

Measurement Units Video

Challenge!

Byline: Mark Esser, NIST Public and Business Affairs Office

The NIST Public and Business Affairs Office has announced the Minecraft

Measurement Units Video Challenge (http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/minecraft.cfm). Your Challenge (should you choose to accept it) is to

create one or more video clips in Minecraft that teaches others about what

the seven units of the International System of Measurement (SI) are or why

they are important in a fun way. Participants should post a link to your completed videos in the comments on the NIST YouTube channel

(http://youtu.be/SRjDOh6d7PQ). 

Rules:

• The total running length of

each clip

should be no

longer than 20

seconds.

• Only one SI

unit should be

featured per

clip.

• Videos must

be G-rated.

• Do your own

work, please.

The seven base SI units are (Link to this URL:

http://www.nist.gov/pml/wmd/metric/si-units.cfm):

1. Meter (m)—length, used for measuring the distance between things;

2. Second (s)—time, there are 60 of them in a minute;

3. Ampere (A)—an amount of electric current, quite shocking;

4. Candela (cd)—brightness, the amount of useful light (light humans

can see by) an object emits;

5. Kelvin (K)—temperature, this unit tells you how hot or cold something is;

6. Kilogram (kg)—mass, a measure of the amount of matter an object

has, related to, but not the same as, weight; and

7. Mole (mol)—an Avogadro’s number’s worth of “entities,” like a

chemist’s, as opposed to a baker’s, dozen (One mole of something

has 6.022 x 1023atoms or molecules.)

Good luck!

For more exacting definitions, see the NIST reference on constants, units, and

uncertainty webpage (http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/). 
W&M Connection 3 Volume 5 Issue 4

Class No. 5321

Webinar - NISTIR 7383 - SOP 18, Part 2

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

Class No. 5320

June 6

Webinar - Uncertainty Budgets for SOP 14

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Class No. 5322

Webinar - Traceability Assessments for

Weights and Measures

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

Class No. 5331

June 9 - 13 (5 days)

HB 133, Basic - Checking the Net Contents of

Packaged Goods

Class No. 5304

Williamston, MI

June 9 - 13 (5 days)

Laboratory Administration

Class No. 5291

NIST/Gaithersburg, MD

June 25 - 26 (2 days)

HB 130 - Price Verification

Class No. 5325

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)

NCSLI Conference 2014

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 (cont’d on pg 4)

PLAN YOUR WEEK OF WEBINAR TRAINING NOW!

Byline: Elizabeth Gentry

Don’t miss your chance to participate in the 2014 “Week of Webinars.” Enroll

today as registration deadlines begin three weeks before each event! Use

the OWM Contact System (https://tsapps.nist.gov/WMD/default.aspx) to

submit your training request. The current fee for these two-hour webinars

is $199 and confirmed participants will be provided a link to make a payment.

Registration fees for weights and measures metrologists and regulatory officials are funded by NIST OWM. Pre-work assignments and payment are due

two weeks prior to each webinar. Pre-work assignments will be provided to

participants with the confirmation letter and instructors will provide log-in

instructions before each event.

Who should attend? Laboratory staff who have responsibilities for developing, implementing, and/or improving the quality management system and/or

technical system in their laboratory, as well as those who are seeking OWM

recognition and/or accreditation or improvements to support recognition/accreditation will be interested in these courses. Most webinars are available

for both state and non-weights and measures laboratory staff. Wednesday’s

OWM and NVLAP Application (Submission) Processes is open to weights and

measures laboratory staff and administrators. Friday’s Traceability Assessments for Weights and Measures is open to weights and measures field officials and administrators.

Learning event descriptions are available on the OWM Training Calendar

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

(continued on pg 4)

Weights and Measures 

Historical Moment

DID YOU KNOW? 

From the Report of the Third Annual Conference on Weights and Measures

of the United States, May 16 and 17, 1907.

Looking at the past reports, one realizes that the concerns of 1907 are not

much different from those of today. The desire to establish and publish “uniform” standards for use in the United States was very much on the minds of

the early weights and measures officials that attended those first annual

meetings. First concern was establishing a working structure, which was

briefly hit upon in the last newsletter. This structure was necessary to create

a cooperative and productive environment to work on developing measurement standards in a country made up of multiple jurisdictions under one giant

umbrella of a “Nation.” Early on, the realization of the importance to protect

the consumer be it industry or the individual was a major concern for our

country. 

Dr. E. B. Rosa, Acting Director of the National Bureau of Standards began the

first session of this third meeting inviting the attendees to take the opportunity to tour the various laboratories where weights and measures were tested

and other laboratories as well. Dr. Rosa emphasized that much of the work

carried out at the Bureau depended greatly on the standards of length and

(continued on pg 4)
W&M Connection 4 Volume 5 Issue 4

August 28

Webinar - Document Control and Record

Keeping

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

Class No. 5299

September 8 - 11

Central Weights and Measures Association

(CWMA) Interim Meeting

St. Charles, Missouri

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: Brett Saum at bsaum@co.slo.ca.us

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 (cont’d on pg 5)

Date Start Time (ET) Webinar Title

Course 

Number Instructor

06/02/2014 10:00 a.m. NISTIR 6969 SOP8, Part 1 5315 Val Miller

06/02/2014 2:00 p.m. Calibration Method Validation 5317 Georgia Harris

06/03/2014 10:00 a.m. NISTIR 7383 SOP18/19, Part 1 5319 Val Miller

06/03/2014 2:00 p.m. Software Verification Application 5318 Georgia Harris

06/04/2014 10:00 a.m.

OWM and NVLAP Application (Submission) Processes

*NOT available for non-weights and measures participants

5330 Georgia Harris

06/04/2014 2:00 p.m. NISTIR 6969 SOP 8, Part 2 5316 Val Miller

06/05/2014 10:00 a.m. Conducting an Effective Management Review 5321 Elizabeth Gentry

06/05/2014 2:00 p.m. NISTIR 7383 SOP 18/19, Part 2 5320 Val Miller

06/06/2014 10:00 a.m.

Uncertainty Budgets for SOP 14 (Gravimetric Volume

Calibrations) 5322 Georgia Harris

06/06/2014 2:00 p.m.

Traceability Assessments for Weights and Measures

*NOT available for non-weights and measures participants

5331 Carol Hockert

WEEK OF WEBINARS SCHEDULE

(continued from pg 3 - Webinars)

OWM Training Coordinator: Yvonne Branden at Yvonne.Branden@nist.gov,

(301) 975-3272.

OWM Contact System: Isabel Chavez at Isabel.Chavez@nist.gov, (301)

975-2128

mass. He elaborated on the work that was being done in the field of electricity to have a standard for measuring electricity. He stated: 

As you know, the work carried on in the various departments here

depends very much on the standards of length and mass, with which

you are chiefly concerned. As, for example, in electrical work we do

not have a standard ampere, in the same way that you have a standard meter, to measure electric current, but our electrical measurements depend fundamentally upon these same units of length and

mass, with which you are concerned, in addition to that of time, so

that when you fix a standard for measurement of electrical resistance,

or other units, we are really basing them directly upon the unit of

length and the unit of mass as well as the unit of time.

Your work, so far as I understand it, is concerned almost entirely with

the measurement of length, mass, and volume, but there may come

a time, in the not distant future, when it will be otherwise, possibly

looking out also for electrical measurement. It does not seem to be

practicable at once, but the testing of electrical measuring instruments is something of very great importance. The work before you

is of interest and very great value. There is no doubt whatever that

the States ought to get together in the matter of laws concerning

weights and measures. It is not a credit to this country that trade

should be carried on according to different standards in different

States, and this body has within it the power to accomplish a great

deal of good in securing uniformity in the laws throughout the country, if they are not observed, and this body has within it the power to

stir up public sentiment to the end that the laws may be respected

and observed, and enforced, when necessary, by penalties.

(continued on pg 5)

(continued from pg 3 - Historical Moment)
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

TBD

Contact: info@ncwm.net

October 19 - 23 (5 days)

Combined Regional Measurement Assurance

Program*

Class No. 5157

St. Louis, MO

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

*Invitation Only

**Limited to State Laboratory Program Participants

W&M Connection 5 Volume 5 Issue 4

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

IN THE NEWS

WANE-TV

Woman says gas station sold her water, not fuel

http://wane.com/2014/04/23/woman-says-gas-station-sold-her-water-notfuel/

Aol.Autos.

This Gas Pump Malfunction May Be Costing You

http://autos.aol.com/article/gas-pump-malfunction-pumpjump/?icid=maing-grid7|aim|dl9|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D467287

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

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

Dr. Rosa continued to speak and this statement is noteworthy, “... it seems to

me that this body can bring about measures which should result in great good

throughout the country. We are behind other countries in this respect, and

it ought not to be many years before the United States should be fully up to

the advance made by the leading nations of the world in this particular.” The

desire and need to bring our Nation up to the standards of other countries

was very much in Dr. Rosa’s mind. He was well aware of the impact weights

and measurement standards had on the ability to trade with other countries

as well as on interstate commerce. So, you can see, the mission and the foundation for today’s weights and measures programs were set at a very early

point in the Conference’s history. We continue to build on the foundation

and expand the mission as technology that was once only a small glimmer

has emerged. We continually arise to the challenges set before us with mutual cooperation from these United States. 

Thank you for reading this “Historical Moment.”

Linda Crown, Editor

continued from pg 4