Governor Larry Hogan has issued a proclamation declaring March 1–7 as Maryland Weights and Measures Week in recognition of the dedicated public servants who serve the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Weights and Measures Section.
“Weights and Measures inspectors play a critical role in protecting consumers and ensuring the accuracy of everything from grocery store scales to gas pumps,” said Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “Weights and Measures Week is a great time to highlight the important work of our inspectors and to thank them for all they do to ensure fairness in the marketplace.”
MDA’s Weights and Measures Section is responsible for verifying that all scales, meters, and other devices used to calculate price in Maryland are accurate and operating correctly – safeguarding the consumer from unfair and incorrect pricing. Everyday, MDA’s Weights and Measures staff work to test the accuracy of gasoline pumps, meters used to measure home fuel oil deliveries, and thousands of scales – from the grocery store to highway truck scales – providing an important service to Marylanders.
Maryland Weights and Measures Week coincides with National Weights and Measures Week, which commemorates President John Adams’ signing of the first U.S. weights and measures law in 1799. This year’s theme is “For the Sake of Equity,” which emphasizes weights and measures inspectors continuing efforts to ensure that consumers are getting what they pay for.
Maryland’s Weights and Measures staff inspects 60,541 weighing and measuring devices in commercial use at 7,732 businesses around the state. In FY21, field staff conducted 45,657 inspections of commercial weighing and measuring devices, including: cash registers, deli scales, shipping scales, large truck scales, fuel pumps, meters to measure home heating oil and propane, and many other devices. The department also inspected 293 individual lots of pre-packaged commodities offered for sale and investigated 168 consumer complaints, the majority of which were related to gasoline sales.
For more information on the MDA’s Weights and Measures Section, or to submit a complaint, please visit the department’s website. MDA’s Weights and Measures Section can also be reached at (410) 841-5790 or weights.measures@maryland.gov.
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