Oregon consumers and businesses will be happy to know that someone is looking at the thousands of weighing and measuring devices used in everyday commerce. The Oregon Department of Agriculture’s 20 inspectors with the Weights and Measures Program ensure fairness in the marketplace throughout the state. National Weights and Measures Week, March 1-7, gives the public an opportunity to become more aware of the consumer protection provided by the inspection program. The theme for this year’s week, “Weights and measures: More than meets the eye”, emphasizes how weights and measures responsibilities in the marketplace have expanded well beyond simple scales and meters. The current chair of the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) says inspectors now help regulate a sophisticated, fast moving marketplace that includes a variety of challenges posed by new technology and the use of software driven devices.
