Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Oiml D 1-2004
Oiml D 1-2004
ORGANISATION INTERNATIONALE
DE MÉTROLOGIE LÉGALE
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION
OF LEGAL METROLOGY
OIML D 1: 2004 (E)
Contents
Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
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Foreword
T
he International Organization of Legal Metrology certain institutions, such as ISO and IEC, with the objective
(OIML) is a worldwide, intergovernmental organization of avoiding contradictory requirements; consequently, manu-
whose primary aim is to harmonize the regulations facturers and users of measuring instruments, test labo-
and metrological controls applied by the national metro- ratories, etc. may apply simultaneously OIML publications
logical services, or related organizations, of its Member and those of other institutions.
States.
International Recommendations and International Docu-
ments are published in French (F) and English (E) and are
The two main categories of OIML publications are: subject to periodic revision.
• International Recommendations (OIML R), which are This publication - OIML D 1, Edition 2004 (E) - was
model regulations that establish the metrological charac- developed by TC 3 Metrological control. It was approved for
teristics required of certain measuring instruments and final publication by the International Committee of Legal
which specify methods and equipment for checking their Metrology in 2004 and supersedes the previous version dated
conformity; the OIML Member States shall implement 1975.
these Recommendations to the greatest possible extent;
OIML Publications may be downloaded from the OIML web
• International Documents (OIML D), which are inform- site in the form of PDF files. Additional information on
ative in nature and intended to improve the work of the OIML Publications may be obtained from the Organization’s
metrological services. headquarters:
Bureau International de Métrologie Légale
OIML Draft Recommendations and Documents are 11, rue Turgot - 75009 Paris - France
developed by technical committees or subcommittees which
Telephone: 33 (0)1 48 78 12 82
are formed by the Member States. Certain international and
Fax: 33 (0)1 42 82 17 27
regional institutions also participate on a consultation basis.
E-mail: biml@oiml.org
Cooperative agreements are established between OIML and Internet: www.oiml.org
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Following due deliberations and depending upon its • Reference to a specific edition;
rulemaking procedures, a country may decide that a • Inclusion of the verbatim text in the regulations;
Document published by one of these international
organizations contains applicable requirements for • Inclusion of identical requirements, but not iden-
use in the country’s metrology structure. Adoption of tical text; or
the Document’s provisions may occur in one of several • Inclusion of compatible but not identical require-
ways including: ments.
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Part 3 Proposed legal provisions • Certification bodies which perform product certi-
fication, quality systems certification or certification
of personnel.
CHAPTER I CHAPTER II
For other definitions, see OIML V 1 International II.1 The national metrology infrastructure
Vocabulary of Terms in Legal Metrology (VIML) and
OIML V 2 International Vocabulary of Basic and The national metrology infrastructure should
General Terms in Metrology (VIM). comprise:
I.1 Traceability of calibrations and measurements is • A legal corpus, including the laws and regulations
the property of the result of these calibrations and that have provisions related to metrology;
measurements whereby it can be related to the • An authority in the Government, in charge of the
definition of units through an unbroken chain of National metrology policy, and of coordinating the
comparisons, all having stated uncertainties. action of other Departments related to metrological
issues;
For the application of legal metrology control, • One or several institutes in charge of tasks assigned
traceability may be obtained either through evaluation at national level for the metrology policy;
of uncertainties or through compliance with stated • System of national measurement standards and
maximum permissible errors. dissemination of legal units;
• A (voluntary) system for accrediting calibration
I.2 In this Document, the term “measuring instru- laboratories and, if required, testing laboratories,
ment” covers measuring instruments in the sense of inspection bodies and certification bodies;
the VIM (see 4.1), as well as measuring systems (VIM, • Structures for disseminating knowledge and
4.5), material measure (VIM, 4.2) and any part of a competencies in metrology (e.g. training, education,
measuring instrument or measuring system which can consultants, etc.); and
be the object of specific requirements and of a specific • Services to industry and to the economy in the field
evaluation of conformity. of metrology (e.g. calibration, maintenance,
training, consultancy, type testing, verification, etc.).
I.3 In this Document, the term “measurement
II.2 National metrology policy
standards” covers the following when used to establish
the traceability of standards, measuring instruments II.2.1 The [Name of the Authority], in liaison with all
and measurements: Government Departments and Agencies, is charged
with the elaboration and coordination of the imple-
• Realization of the SI units;
mentation of the national metrology policy.
• Artefacts reproducing the multiples and sub-
divisions of the SI units and traceable to SI; This policy shall determine the action of the govern-
• Instruments measuring quantities and traceable to ment on issues related to metrology and shall commit
SI; and all government departments (ministries) and agencies,
• Certified reference materials. each in its own sphere.
Preparation by any government department of regula-
tions that establish required values of measurable
I.4 The national accreditation system is a voluntary
quantities should take account of the ability of the
system which establishes the competence and impar-
national metrology infrastructure to provide reliable
tiality of:
measurements of these quantities.
• Calibration laboratories to perform traceable
calibrations and measurements; II.2.2 This policy shall provide a support for the
• Testing laboratories; development of the national metrological infra-
• Inspection bodies; and structure taking into account the needs related to:
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CHAPTER III III.4 The use of units other than legal units will be
authorized in applications for which international
LEGAL UNITS OF MEASUREMENT Conventions, Agreements or Treaties prescribe those
specific units.
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V.2.5 When necessary and for specific applications, V.3.4 These regulations may define the marks which
the regulations mentioned in V.2.1 may: indicate the conformity (compliance) of the pre-
• Define requirements applicable to the individuals or packages to the regulatory requirements.
bodies who perform the measurements;
• Require records of the measurement operations to V.3.5 These regulations may require manufacturers
be available to the legal metrology officials; and importers of prepackages to be registered by the
• Require the issuing of certificates for the result of [Name of the Authority].
these measurements;
They may require importers to notify the [Name of the
• Require records of the traceability of measurement
Authority] of importation(s) to facilitate inspections.
results to be available to the legal metrology
officials; and
• Define controls to be applied by legal metrology V.3.6 These regulations may prescribe that records of
officials or by specialized bodies regarding the the control operations performed by the manufacturer
activity of the individuals or bodies who perform the or importer shall be available to the legal metrology
measurements. officials.
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They may prescribe a quality system be applied by the • To assess the initial conformity of instruments to
manufacturer or importer of the prepackages when legal requirements, at the stage of design (e.g. type
appropriate. approval) and at the stage of manufacturing (e.g.
initial verification);
V.3.7 These regulations may define the procedures • To ensure that instruments in service maintain their
and criteria for the legal control exerted by legal required metrological properties under expected
metrology officials on prepackages and on the sellers, conditions of use and with age (e.g. reverification, in
manufacturers and importers of prepackages. service inspection and field surveillance), or are
withdrawn from use; and
• To ensure that instruments are correctly installed
V.3.8 All measurement results involving measuring and used and operated under the defined correct
instruments and measurement standards used for the conditions (e.g. environmental).
controls prescribed in application of Articles V.3.6 and
V.3.7 shall be traceable as prescribed in II.4.
V.4.5 The regulations mentioned in V.4.1 shall specify
the marks and signs (inscriptions) which attest to the
V.3.9 These regulations may allow [Name of the status of the conformity of the instruments with legal
Authority] to recognize the conformity to the national requirements (e.g. type approval mark, verification
provisions of prepackages which bear marks of con- mark, etc.).
formity affixed under the legal metrology regulations
of other countries or under conformity marking Measuring equipment that no longer conforms to the
systems set up by international bodies. legal requirements shall be given a rejection mark and
must be made to conform, repaired, withdrawn from
the market, or removed from use.
V.4 Regulations on measuring instruments
Option: When measuring equipment fails the legal
V.4.1 Regulations may be made by [Name of the control, the verification mark shall be removed and
Authority] to define the list of measuring instrument the equipment must be made to conform, repaired,
categories subject to legal control for the purposes withdrawn from the market, or removed from use.
listed in V.1.
In the event of infringements, equipment may be
seized pending a decision of the legal authorities, or its
V.4.2 The instruments subject to these regulations further use may be prevented by appropriate means.
shall provide measurement results in the legal units
defined in Chapter III, and the measurement results
shall be traceable as prescribed in II.4. V.4.6 To prevent unauthorized adjustments or
interventions, the regulations may restrict access to
certain parts or functions of the instruments
V.4.3 These regulations shall specify the required (including software). This access may be required to
metrological performance and technical requirements be physically protected by sealing marks (or protection
applicable to instruments in these categories. of access to the software) defined by the regulations.
Alternatively or in addition, the regulations may
In accordance with the OIML Convention and, when
require that the instruments adequately detect and
applicable, the WTO/TBT Agreement, these regula-
record any access to these parts or functions.
tions shall be based on the International Recom-
mendations of the OIML as far as possible.
V.4.7 These regulations shall allow [Name of the
Authority] to recognize conformity to the national
V.4.4 These regulations may set up legal control and
provisions of instruments that have been recognized to
supervision of these instruments. The purpose of this
conform with equivalent regulations in other
legal control is to ensure that instruments are fit for
countries.
their intended use, meet and maintain the necessary
metrological performance requirements, and provide They shall allow [Name of the Authority] to enter into
adequate protection against misuse, incorrect inter- mutual acceptance or recognition arrangements and
pretations of results and fraud. The regulations shall agreements with other countries with the goal of
include the appropriate control and supervision recognizing national or OIML Certificates or test
procedures: reports or affixed conformity markings.
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These regulations may allow the acceptance and • Misrepresent the price of any commodity or service
utilization in legal metrology controls, of test or sold, offered, exposed, or advertised for sale by
verification results issued in other countries. quantity (weight, measure, or count/number), or
represent the price in any manner calculated or
tending to mislead or in any way deceive a person;
V.4.8 The regulations may impose registration
• Misrepresent measurements of quality of products
requirements and establish requirements for service used to determine the price or grade of the product;
persons and service agencies that install, adjust and
• Fail to register when registration is required (V.3.5,
maintain measuring instruments (provided that the
V.4.8);
regulations do not conflict with other regulatory
agency requirements). • Not comply with obligations of records (V.2.5,
V.3.6), or not make them available to legal metrol-
ogy officials;
V.4.9 When instruments are offered for sale, sold, or • Not comply with corrective actions requested/
placed on the market for use subject to legal metrology instructed by legal metrology officials;
requirements, the seller must inform the buyer about • Hinder or obstruct any legal metrology official in
the legal requirements/status, and offer instruments the performance of their duties;
adapted to the intended use. • Affix fake or undue conformity marking or
verification marks.
V.4.10 No person shall use, have in their possession
for use or put into service for applications as stated in VI.1.2 Related to measurements provided in adver-
V.1, any instrument subject to legal metrological tisements or other public communications (IV.1)
control unless this instrument bears the required
control marks mentioned in V.4.5 and the sealing • Refuse or fail to provide justifications of the meas-
marks or audit requirements mentioned in V.4.6. urement results provided in advertisements (or
other public communications);
The owner of or the person/organization responsible • Provide false or misleading measurement results in
for a measuring instrument subject to legal metrology advertisements (or other public communications).
regulations that is in service is required to maintain
the conformity of that instrument to legal require-
ments (including accuracy and including the execution VI.1.3 Related to the use of legal units (Chapter III)
of required legal controls). Owner's use of the
• Use other units and symbols than those defined in
instrument must conform with the manufacturer's
application of III.1 and III.2, for the applications
operating instructions and maintenance requirements.
defined in III.3.
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• Offer for sale (put on the market), sell or install of the WTO/TBT Agreement, with the exception of the
instruments which do not comply with the legal obligation to notify proposed conformity assessment
requirements for the intended use; procedures.
• Use instruments (for other than personal use) which
have not been submitted to the legal control;
• Use instruments without conforming to their VI.4 Responsibilities and powers
prescribed conditions of use;
• Repair or install regulated instruments without VI.4.1 The legal metrology officials in charge of
required authorizations; enforcing the provisions of this law are [Enumeration
• Affix false conformity markings or affix conformity of the categories of agents].
markings illegally on measuring instruments; They are empowered to:
• Bias measuring instruments to yield an inaccurate
result; • Request the justifications required in application of
IV.1;
• Remove any tag, seal, or mark from any weight or
measure or measuring instrument without being • Exert the legal control on prepackages mentioned in
duly authorized by the proper authority. V.3.7;
• Request justifications of the respect of obligations
made by this law to manufacturers, importers,
VI.2 Liability of persons and corporate bodies installers, repairers and users of measuring
and infringements instruments subject to legal control;
In the following, “person” refers to both the singular • Perform verifications and inspections on measuring
and plural, as the case demands, and includes instruments subject to legal control;
individuals, partnerships, corporations, companies, • Affix rejection marks and/or remove conformity
societies and associations. marking in application of V.4.5;
Persons that use or keep measuring equipment • Perform surveillance on the bodies appointed in
covered by national metrology legislation are application of VI.3.
responsible for having the required metrological Their findings concerning offences enumerated in VI.1
controls performed on the measuring equipment may be transmitted to the prosecution authorities.
which they use or keep.
Persons importing, manufacturing, repairing, selling VI.4.2 The legal metrology officials mentioned in
or hiring measuring equipment determined by decree VI.4.1, upon presentation of their credentials, and in
and intended for uses covered by the national the discharge of and in order to discharge their duties,
legislation on metrology, are liable for having the have access (within national constitutional require-
required metrological controls performed on the ments) to all industrial establishments or commercial
instruments or installations which are the subject of premises or vehicles, where measuring equipment
their activities. subject to legal control is installed, kept or used, or
where there is reason to believe it is installed, kept or
VI.3 Conformity assessment bodies for used, or where prepackages are filled, labelled, kept or
legal metrology offered for sale or where there is reason to believe that
they are filled, labelled, kept or offered for sale.
VI.3.1 The [Name of the Authority] may appoint
bodies to perform tasks pertaining to conformity
VI.4.3 The legal metrology officials mentioned in
assessment, verification, or inspection in application
VI.4.1 shall be empowered according to the national
of the legal metrology regulations. These bodies shall
be competent and impartial. They shall perform their judicial procedures to issue stop-use, hold, and
tasks in a non discriminatory manner. removal orders with respect to any measuring
instruments subject to legal control, stop sale, hold,
Appropriate accreditations are an acceptable way to and removal orders with respect to any packaged
show competence and impartiality. commodities or bulk commodities kept, offered, or
exposed for sale.
VI.3.2 The bodies appointed in application of VI.3.1 They shall be empowered according to the national
shall comply with the relevant parts of Articles 5 and 6 judicial procedures to seize, for use as evidence,
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parency and that conflicts of interest are avoided. • Coordination of the actions of the various ministries
When necessary this contract should ask these bodies related to metrological issues, in order to ensure
to apply the requirements uniformly in the country. consistency (see part 3, II.1);
Two ways of delegating tasks to external bodies are • Issuing of legal metrology regulations;
possible: • Coordination with the national accreditation
system;
• Either to designate a single body on the basis of a
• Organizing or ensuring international representation
call for tenders;
of the national metrology bodies and system;
• Or to appoint bodies in competition, any body
• Facilitating international recognition of the national
fulfilling specified requirements being eligible to be
metrology bodies and system;
appointed.
• Co-ordination of all legal metrology institutions,
The choice between these two ways must be carefully including the Local Metrology Authorities (LMAs);
studied, considering the tasks that are being delegated • Supervision of the national bodies to which tech-
and the respective advantages and disadvantages of nical tasks are delegated; and
these two solutions (technical consistency, uniform
• Providing appropriate information to the public
coverage of the geographical area of the country,
about the national metrology system.
practicability of supervision of these bodies, risks of
corruption, undesirable effects of commercial compe- The CMA is responsible for ensuring consistency of
tition on the quality in running the tasks, positive regulations and their application to implement the law
effects of competition on costs and efficiency, etc.). on metrology. The CMA should ensure that the
following functions are performed on behalf of indi-
viduals:
III.2 Centralized and decentralized missions
• Assurance that measuring instruments in trade,
The level of centralization or decentralization is an
health, safety, law enforcement and environmental
essential issue of the political organization of the
regulation are suitable for their intended use,
country. In the law on metrology, it will be defined in
properly installed, and accurate, and are so main-
accordance with the fundamental texts (Constitution),
tained by their owner or user;
with the political and administrative organization and
with the general policy of the country. These higher • Prevention of unfair or deceptive dealing by weight
principles will have to guide the delegation of powers or measure in any commodity or service advertised,
and missions in legal metrology between the central packaged, sold, purchased, or exchanged;
authorities and the local authorities (municipalities, • Promotion of uniformity, to the extent practicable
counties, regions within a country, States in a and desirable, among all jurisdictions;
Federation, etc.). • Encouragement of desirable economic growth while
protecting consumers through the adoption by rule
of legal metrology requirements as necessary to
III.3 Central Metrology Authority (CMA) ensure fair competition and equity among buyers
All the issues of the national metrology policy at the and sellers;
central level (e.g. scientific, industrial and legal) • Protection of individuals by establishing and
should be managed or coordinated by one single enforcing metrological requirements for measuring
central authority of the country, hereafter called the instruments used in health, safety law enforcement
Central Metrology Authority (CMA). It would be and environmental regulation;
inconsistent and inadvisable to have different central • Establishment of traceability of measurement
bodies in charge of different aspects of the metrology results through internationally recognized and
policy without coordination. The missions of the CMA accepted processes;
should be: • Establishment of standards of weights or measures
• Studying the needs of the country for metrology and and reasonable standards of fill for any packaged
the orientations and priorities of the national commodity; possible establishment of requirements
metrology policy, for example with a national for unit pricing information;
consultative committee made up of experts from • Exemptions from the provisions of the law on
various sectors; metrology or any regulations subsequently made
• Elaborating and formulating the national metrology when appropriate to the maintenance of good
policy that has to be endorsed by the government; commercial practices, etc.
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The CMA may enter into agreements with local Smaller countries may not need local metrology
jurisdictions to designate officials and prescribe authorities and the implementation may then be taken
powers and duties - any legal metrology official care of by the national authorities.
appointed for a local jurisdiction shall have the duties
Testing, assessing the conformity of, marking for
and powers enumerated in this Act, with the exception
conformity the measuring instruments and pre-
of those duties reserved for the CMA and for the
packages, may be carried out by specialized bodies
national metrology or legal metrology institute(s) by
designated or licensed by the local metrology
law or regulation. No requirement laid down by local
authorities. Such designated or licensed bodies may be
agencies may be less stringent than or conflict with the
public or private.
requirements of the CMA.
The missions of the LMAs should be to:
The head of the CMA should have the authority to
enter into agreements to provide for assistance in the • Implement the Law on Metrology in the field;
development of requirements for measuring instru- • Identify contraventions of the law on metrology and
ments for use by other agencies with regulatory prosecute (refer to prosecuting authorities);
responsibilities, for example in health, safety law • Direct and implement the legal control of the
enforcement and the environment. instruments;
The head of the CMA should have the authority to • Support the development of the metrology infra-
recognize the legal acceptability of measurement structure;
results and measuring instruments established in • Conduct investigations to ensure compliance with
other countries for importation or use in its own the law on metrology and regulations promulgated
country so as to help reduce technical barriers to by the CMA. This may include:
trade. In return, the head of the CMA should ensure - Inspecting and testing, or supervising the
that national arrangements provide adequate inspection and testing by designated or licensed
confidence in the results from the national bodies, of measuring instruments and pre-
measurement system. The best way of demonstrating packages kept, offered, or exposed for sale; and
that this is the case is through participation in the - Inspecting and testing, or supervising the inspec-
various international frameworks for acceptance/ tion and testing by designated or licensed bodies,
recognition of equivalence created by the Metre to ascertain if they are correct, of measuring
Convention, ILAC and the OIML. instruments in service.
• Accept for use, and mark, such measuring
III.4 International relations instruments that are found to be correct, and reject
and order to be corrected, replaced, or removed
The issues in relation to metrology which imply those measuring instruments that are found to be
interfaces with overseas authorities and overseas incorrect. Measuring instruments that have been
economies should be coordinated by the CMA. This is rejected must not be used unless they have been
the case for intergovernmental treaties (e.g. the Metre corrected and have passed the re-verification when
Convention, OIML) and for the recognition or non- required, and may be seized if this has not been
recognition of the legal acceptability of measurement done within any time that might be specified, or if
results and measuring instruments established in used or disposed of in a manner not specifically
other countries. The CMA may delegate responsibility authorized. The head legal metrology official or
for specific interactions in relation to metrology with designated agents shall remove from service and
overseas authorities and overseas economies to may seize the weights and measures found to be
national bodies, such as the national institutions as incorrect that are not capable of being rendered
appropriate. correct.
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• Certifications issued by the CMA are accepted by the the majority of funding of the institutes comes from
LMA; public sources. In addition, and as metrology
• Instruments, measurement procedures and meas- encompasses activities outside the traditional physics
urement results accepted by an LMA are accepted and engineering base - moving into the fields of
by the other LMAs; metrology in chemistry, medicine, food etc. - it has
• No deviating requirements or interpretations of been necessary to bring together a number of other
requirements should exist between LMAs; the CMA organizations with a different ownership or legal
may ask an LMA to revise its interpretation of the status into a “distributed” or “virtual” NMI. In other
regulatory requirements when this interpretation cases where the required expertise is wholly within an
appears to deviate from common interpretation; industrial or commercial organization, governments
• The LMAs are represented in intergovernmental have set up special contracts with industrial providers
work and accept the agreements signed in the of metrology services for the country. In these cases,
intergovernmental organizations. governments normally provide an official or legal
designation of the organization concerned as a
provider of the specific national service. The
designated status only applies to the role of the
CHAPTER IV organization within the country concerned and does
not apply outside of that country. In such cases, it is
NATIONAL METROLOGY INSTITUTES (NMIs) important to ensure that the companies concerned do
not develop unfair commercial or market positions as
a result of their special contractual arrangements and
The tasks listed in Part 3 II.5.1 can be divided over official designation as part of a “distributed” NMI.
different bodies: The NMI may have various possible structures:
• A National Metrology Institute (NMI), consisting of • A public institute owning and running its own
one or more standards laboratories, which can also laboratories;
be part of for instance a university or other scientific
• A private institute owning and running its own
institute; in general, due to the expanding scope of
metrology, many countries traditionally distribute laboratories, under the authority of the government,
responsibility for different quantities/units among taking into account unfair competition and national
different institutes coordinated either by a principal security;
institute or by an agency. This organization may be • A public agency coordinating public or private
considered by small or developing countries, in institutes.
order to make use of the existing competencies and Experience shows that in the field of metrology, the
capabilities; essential government functions relating to economic
• Generally one National Legal Metrology Institute and social policy, support for industry and the making
(NLMI) in charge of studying technical specifica- of legislation, are dependent on metrological and
tions for legal metrology, issuing type approvals and technical competence. The necessary competence may
providing technical coordination and support to be strongly enhanced by the integration of technical,
other legal metrology bodies; this may also be regulatory and legislative operations.
distributed among several institutes specializing in
different fields under an appropriate coordination. It is highly recommended to develop the synergies
between scientific and legal metrology activities, in
Up until several years ago, NMIs were nearly always particular the study of technical requirements for new
entirely within the public sector. However, more recent regulations, type testing and type approval issuing:
policies have attempted to give NMIs a degree of
management freedom that is appropriate for the • Either by combining scientific and legal metrology
efficient and effective running of a research-based in the same institute;
organization with services to the public. This has often • Or, at least, by establishing close cooperations
required the introduction of more flexible accounting between the institutes in charge of these two fields
or management processes that are closer to private of metrology.
sector management models than to the rules that
The reasons for this are:
apply to administrative units in government. In some
cases, therefore governments have sought alternative • New fields of legal metrology and new technologies
models but have in all cases arranged matters so that in legal metrology are moving technically closer to
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the accuracies at the national standards level, and In all cases, special attention must be paid to the
require new calibration, test and verification sustainability of the NMI and of the NLMI, and
methods and new measurement standards to be appropriate financial resources must be provided for
developed by scientific metrology; their long term stability.
• High levels of competencies in metrology are more The missions and tasks of NMIs and NLMIs include
and more important in legal metrology; and tasks of general interest spread over the long term and
• Including both activities in the same institute may services rendered to the administration and to clients
help to achieve the critical minimum size of the on a contractual basis. The financial resources of these
institute, permitting better management of human institutes must reflect these two kinds of missions.
resources and facilitating a coherent policy in
metrology.
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II.4 Traceability
II.2 National metrology policy
No particular examples need to be mentioned.
The issues addressed in the national metrology policy
should include:
• National application of internationally agreed II.5 National institutes
definitions of units of measurement;
• Development, maintenance and dissemination of II.5.1 These missions require the following tasks:
those national realizations of the units and a) General metrology tasks
quantities of the SI measurement standards at a
level sufficient to support national needs; 1 To establish the national system of units based,
where possible, on the SI;
• Support for the development of appropriate and
internationally recognized metrological infra- 2 To realize (where appropriate) and maintain the
structure ensuring the traceability of measurements; national measurement standards and disseminate
• Direction and funding of metrology research legal units;
activities; 3 To employ appropriately qualified metrological
• Development of metrology education and training experts to undertake its responsibilities, to
for metrologists and industry; provide these staff with sufficient and appropriate
• Development and adoption of metrological regu- on-going training and to ensure the implemen-
lations; tation of efficient succession-planning processes;
• Enforcement of metrological regulations; 4 To facilitate the establishment of laboratories that
• Assessment of conformity to metrological legal satisfy metrological requirements such as environ-
requirements; and mental control and that these laboratories are
• Information dissemination to the public about equipped with appropriately calibrated equip-
metrological issues. ment;
Setting up a National Metrology Council composed of 5 To direct research work for the improvement of
qualified personnel to advise the government on the national measurement standards to meet
metrology issues should be considered. changing needs;
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6 To provide for transfer of technologies in metrol- 6 To define the recommended equipment and
ogy from research teams to industry; technical procedures to be applied by the LMAs;
7 To carry out regular reviews of the needs of 7 To organize technical training for the staff of the
society relating to the improvement of measure- CMA and the LMAs, and training for industry on
ment standards and dissemination of legal units; legal metrology issues;
8 To be the national reference for the national 8 To provide for the training of legal metrology
accreditation system of calibration laboratories, officials, and establish minimum training and
regarding competencies and measurement stand- performance requirements which shall then be
ards; met by all legal metrology officials;
9 To advise the government on technical issues in 9 To develop and disseminate public education
metrology; programs to support implementation of assigned
10 To ensure appropriate and effective participation responsibilities.
in international metrological fora and activities
(in particular the Metre Convention) and in
regional work in metrology, under the authority of
II.5.2 No particular examples need to be mentioned.
[Name of the Authority];
11 To provide calibration against national meas-
urement standards for the traceability of the
calibration laboratories accredited by the II.5.3 The NMI normally obtains its operating
appropriate national accreditation body, which resources from some or all of the following sources:
should itself conform with the requirements of the
• Government monies to wholly fund its national
ILAC, and of legal metrology laboratories;
interest missions, in particular tasks 1-10 identified
12 To provide consultancy to relevant national above;
bodies, industry and the public on metrological • Contracts with the government for specific tasks;
issues and on the importance of measurements; • Contracts with the private sector for commercial
13 To provide and/or to arrange for training for services; and
trainers in metrology; and • Grants from various organizations for specific tasks,
such as from international aid organizations to
14 Other missions consistent with the intent of the
assist the establishment of the NMI.
Law.
The NLMIs normally obtain their operating resources
b) Legal metrology tasks from some or all of the following sources:
1 To carry out studies and make proposals for the • Government grants to wholly fund their national
technical regulatory requirements on the various interest missions, in particular tasks 1-10 identified
categories of measuring instruments; above;
• Contracts with the government for specific tasks (for
2 To carry out regular reviews of the needs of
example studies);
society relating to legal metrology;
• Contracts with the private sector for commercial
3 To employ appropriately qualified metrological services (e.g. type approval, verification fees,
experts to undertake its responsibilities, to training, etc.);
provide these staff with sufficient and appropriate • Grants from various organizations for specific tasks,
on-going training and to ensure the implemen- such as from international aid organizations to
tation of efficient succession-planning processes; assist the establishment of the NLMI; and
4 To issue national and OIML type approval • Industry participation in schemes such as a quantity
certificates; mark scheme.
5 To ensure appropriate and effective participation In particular when the NMI or NLMI runs activities
in international legal metrology fora and activities (e.g. calibration, training, consultancy for industry,
(in particular the OIML) and in regional work in type approvals, etc.) which are in competition with
legal metrology, under the authority of [Name of other bodies, the public financing granted to the NMI
the Authority]; must not induce unfair competition.
24
OIML D 1: 2004 (E)
25