Services		CFTM		Approvals		Electricity		Volume
Sector Review		Authorized Service  Providers		Consumer Page		Natural Gas		Mass

Gen-02 Adjustment of Devices during Initial Inspections conducted in the Field

PDF Format | Table of Contents

Date: 1991-09-30
Bulletin: GEN-02-E
Category: General

1. For many years, the Legal Metrology Branch has taken the position that industry is responsible for ensuring that devices meet all pertinent aspects of the Weights and Measures Act, Regulations and Specifications, before a request is made for approval and initial inspection. Thus, industry is responsible for assuring in advance that devices are, indeed, ready for approval and initial inspection and, if this is properly done, as a rule no device adjustments, installation modifications, etc., should be required during the presence of inspectors.

2. Inspectors are expected to make reasonable departures from this practice when special circumstances so require: examples of such occurrences would be when very complex devices are involved or when extraordinary testing arrangements must be made.

3. It is not the purpose of Legal Metrology to provide facilities and services in support of device modification or adjustment. As well, the degree to which inspectors become involved in device modifications or adjustment, or are delayed by such functions during the conduct of inspections and enforcement activities, lowers both the productivity of our inspectors and the level of service we can provide to industry and the public.

4. Generally, one minor adjustment may be made to devices during approval and initial inspection tests, provided that significant delays are not incurred. In this regard, the following conditions must be considered when adjustments are made:

4.1 a minor adjustment will be defined as one which would not involve a delay of more than 15 minutes to the inspector - this provision will apply to all devices whether small, large, simple or complex, regardless of their location;

4.2 in instances where devices are of such a type or situated in locations, where an entire working day is committed to the approval or initial inspection of that device, the inspector will await any adjustment or modification provided that such a delay would not commit the inspector to a second day on-site. A typical example of this situation would be when an inspector is required to fly to a location such as Flin Flon, Manitoba. In this instance, the inspector would accept any delays which would not preclude departure on the last possible flight back to his office on the day that he was scheduled to depart. Should delays in these instances be such that the inspector is concerned that an extra day may be required, he will decide if it would be more cost/ operationally-effective to dedicate the extra day to the subject testing, and will seek direction from his District Manager, if he judges it necessary. This privilege will not be allowed to companies who frequently cause inspection delays;

4.3 in instances where a device is situated more than 50 km outside of an urban area, and/or 50 km away from the normal headquarters of the inspector, the inspector will await device adjustments or modifications that will not delay the conduct of his activities by more than one hour, or at his discretion, a somewhat longer period based upon the time that would be lost by his returning to the site at a later date. The inspector does not need to consult with his District Manager prior to making these decisions, and again, will not allow this privilege to those companies who frequently engender inspection delays;

4.4 if the adjustments or modifications to a device will likely lead to overtime work the inspector will consult with his District Manager unless arrangements for working possible overtime are made beforehand;

4.5 in those instances where extraordinary testing arrangements must be made (i.e. product for testing belt conveyor scales, rail test cars, large bulk metering plants, etc.), the inspector will develop mutually-acceptable testing arrangements with industry; and

4.6 in all other instances, including all devices located in or within 50 km of major urban areas, and/or within 50 km from the inspector's normal headquarters, only the one minor adjustment provision will be allowed, except as allowed under paragraph 4.5 above.

5. For the purpose of clarity, abuse of the above provisions would be when a company ceases to test devices to assure they meet the requirements before requesting approval and initial inspection and/or when a company causes delays more frequently than one out of five inspections.

6. For additional information, please contact:

Gilles P. Vinet
Vice-President
Program Development Directorate