If you sell or transport goods by weight, you must follow specific rules. The federal government implements regulations that protect buyers and sellers and establishes consistent practices and processes across Canada. Here are five tips for legally weighing goods for your commercial business.
1. Use legal for trade scales. If you sell goods by weight, you must use scales that are certified ‘legal for trade’ by Measurement Canada. Certified professionals must also do scale repairs and calibrations. Certification is essential for the following reasons:
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It ensures all industry equipment is legal for trade and has gone through rigorous inspection processes
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It builds market confidence and trust among consumers
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It allows you to quickly identify faulty scales and fix them as soon as possible
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It avoids measurement mistakes
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It ensures there are no hidden problems with your scales and that they’re fit to use
2. Perform regular calibrations. Regularly calibrating your scales ensures the measurements are accurate every time. It’s a good idea to set up an internal maintenance schedule for calibration and overall inspection. Moreover, you should periodically book a maintenance service call with a certified professional technician to detect and correct minor problems before they become major issues.
3. Be mindful of hygiene. In many industries, like food handling, hygiene is paramount, and cleaning procedures are legally mandated. Cleaning and sanitizing scales before and after each use is critical to preventing products from becoming contaminated and endangering the public. Investing in a waterproof scale with an IP68 rating is beneficial because you can quickly and easily wash it down between measurements.
4. Use checkweighers. A checkweigher is a manual or automatic measuring device that weighs packaged goods before shipping them to customers. Overweight packages can reduce your profits, while underweight packages can lead to dissatisfied customers. A checkweigher can help you identify parcels that fall outside tolerated margins and remove them from the lineup, thereby improving quality control and transparency
5. Monitor environmental factors. You must protect your scale from ground vibrations. The slightest tremors from transportation trucks, nearby highways or construction can negatively affect a scale’s measurements. Moreover, frequent temperature fluctuations can damage your scale, and humid conditions and exposure to corrosive materials can lead to rust.
Floor scales in Calgary, Red Deer and Swift Current Accurate/Western Scale Co. Ltd. is Measurement Canada accredited. Therefore, all our technicians are qualified to perform inspections and certify scales as legal for trade. When we repair or calibrate your scales, you don’t have to call a third party to certify the work. Contact us today to request a quote or get more information. We serve clients in Calgary and throughout Alberta.
