Inside This Issue: - Chairman's Column - NTEP Column - Safety Column - Welcome New Members! - Tip of the Month - Looking Forward - Event Calendar
NCWM NEWS National Conference on Weights and Measures
Chairman ’ s Column Gene Robertson, NCWM Chairman — State of Mississippi
2023 Issue 3
Chairman’s Column..........................1 Tip of the Month................................2 NCWM Welcomes New Members...................................3 The Meetup.......................................4 2024 NCWM Interim Meeting............7 NTEP Column...................................8 Event Calendar...............................10 109 th NCWM Annual Meeting..........10 Professional Certification Exams ....14 Safety Column................................16 We’re Moving!.................................19
small delta town. Legend has it the land of Midnight was won in a poker game. The gentleman who won the hand looked at his watch, and it was midnight thus naming the town. In 1982, I graduated from Mississippi State University and moved back to the Delta with my wife to manage a commercial catfish operation and cotton gin. After 11 years and three children, I was offered a job with the Mississippi Department of Agriculture (MDAC) as the Aquaculture Specialist, so we moved right outside of Jackson. In 2003, I transferred to the Regulatory Bureau within the MDAC which includes Weights and Measures, Petroleum Products Inspection, Consumer Protection, Metrology, Fruits and Vegetables, Produce Safety, and Meat Inspection Divisions. I also maintained the Aquaculture Coordinator position and was given Grain Division, Egg Marketing Board and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency representatives. Before my experiences at the MDAC, what I knew of weights and measures had to do with catfish and cotton. I sold catfish by the pound, and when we received an invoice back, it had deductions. And, the scale we had to weigh the cotton bales at the gin was red tagged. We didn’t get it fixed because the official weight was given at the Federal Compress. Now, I am well versed in this regard. In my speech at the annual meeting, I had a theme and several other topics that were discussed. One of the topics was the continuity of the chairman. I want to thank Mahesh Albuquerque, immediate past chairman, for inviting
Dear NCWM Members (Friends), As I said in my acceptance speech in Norfolk, thank you for the opportunity to serve you. I have learned so much already from traveling across the country attending the regionals, and I am looking forward to what this year holds. I enjoyed getting to know the people I’ve met and seeing the nuances of what we do in each region. The signing of the NCWM/NIST MOU was one of the highlights from the 108th Annual Meeting in Norfolk, and I look forward to working with Katrice Lippa, Chief, NIST Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) and the NIST OWM staff this year. The awards ceremony was highlighted by the first Inspector of the Year award, Bill Masur with the state of Florida. Bill had an awesome resume that we can only hope inspires others and shows what one individual can mean to a program. Let’s make sure in our own prospective states and jurisdiction programs that we recognize the inspectors and give them a tremendous thank you for a job well done! First, let me tell you a little more about myself. I have lived in Mississippi all my life and grew up on a small farm right outside of Midnight, a
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Don Onwiler Executive Director Darrell Flocken NTEP Administrator Jeff Gibson NTEP Specialist Elisa Stritt Director of Oporations Danyelle Dolan Project Coordinator Allen Katalinic NTEP Evaluator Ed Payne NTEP Evaluator Richard Shipman VCAP Auditor
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me into the weekly web meeting with our Executive Director, Don Onwiler. These meetings gave me great insight into what this year will hold. To further this concept, I formed a Chairman’s Council of past chairman from each region along with the chairman elect, and I plan to have quarterly meetings with them. This is an effort to help me and the BOD guide the NCWM. Since the chairman’s position is just a year, this will help keep the NCWM on a similar path. As I stated earlier, I was a cotton gin manager for 10 years. When I first started there if something went wrong, I had to call a service company to repair the gin to get it back up and running. Over the years, I learned a lot and was able to, in most cases, repair the gin by the time a service company would have come. This is a personal example of why continuity of the chairman is so important. Building on the experiences of past chairmen will help accomplish what is needed in the year’s term to continue projects to make them successful. For example, the NTEP Lab was started during Mahesh’s term and will most likely begin operation when Marc is Chairman. The contract has been signed to start the building process of the NTEP Lab, and we look forward to seeing the development over the coming months. Don has done his due diligence and is staying on top of this project. We should have an update at the NCWM Interim Meeting in New Orleans. Succession planning and budget issues were also discussed at the annual meeting. Here in Mississippi, we are experiencing budget hurdles that make it hard to implement our own succession plan for others to follow at the regional and national level. While we understand how important this is to the success of the conference, it is not within our realm to change it. I’m glad to see other state and local jurisdictions continue to send and support new members as well as tenured members to the conferences. This is vital to both regional and the NCWM for the new members to have the opportunity to learn the process from the tenured members.
We are in the early stages of the National Price Verification Survey. Marc and the focus group should have the framework together within the next month or two. This is a way the NCWM can collectively join with states, local jurisdictions and the NIST to provide information to consumers once the survey is complete. We look forward to getting regulators to sign on, train and start the survey. This will be a heavy lift, but it’s well worth the effort. The theme I would like to implement for this year is staying relevant. As I stated in Norfolk, the marketplace is changing fast and only accelerating. The conference must make the proper adjustments to keep pace. Staying open to new ideas is a necessity to accomplish this. I look forward to working with the BOD on how we can stay relevant in this ever- changing time. Lastly, a goal of mine during my term is for the NCWM membership to have more access to the BOD. We are planning to set aside time at each BOD meeting to have members video conference in to hear updates, ask questions, offers suggestions, and projects they would like to see the BOD/NCWM pursue. This is another way the BOD can provide a benefit to the members. We are still working on the logistics, but an email will be sent to the directors in early October. Thank you again for allowing me to serve you, and please feel free to contact me with any questions, ideas or suggestions. I look forward to seeing everyone at your regional meeting or the NCWM Interim Meeting in January in New Orleans. Sincerely, Gene
Comparing Price & Quantity Weights and Measures Inspectors test packages to verify net quantity based on the labeled contents. This allows consumers to compare price and quantity with confidence, knowing that they are getting what they pay for at the supermarket. Contact your local Weights and Measures Authority with questions or concerns.
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NCWM Welcomes New Members
7-Eleven Christopher Oldham ACR Systems, Inc. Bryan Huffman ADM Keving Adlaf
Marathon Petroleum Company Nicole Byndas Maryland Department of Agriculture Kenneth Adams Dalen Berry Matt Marker Michael Morgan Jason Vogel Master Meter, Inc. Walter Vetter Meigs County Auditor Jim Heater Mercer County Ohio Douglas Eshelman Minebea Intec USA, Inc Duan Cappo Monroe County Weights and Measures Goerge Millman Muskingum County Auditor’s Office Jason Dillon Napa County Weights and Measures Toosdi Malito Northampton County Weights
SES-Imagotag Jessica Vittorio South Carolina Department of Agriculture Tim Jones Kristin Sherrick State of Alaska Stephen Gray Stste of Georgia Jason Wamba State of Montana Layton Kelly Stowe Research International Nick Nair Donald Goudie Strak County Errol Isaiah Taunton Department of Public Works Craig Barter TESCO USDA AMS FGIS Ramaswamy Mani Van Wert County Weights and Measures Jami Bradford Vertical Software Inc. Marcus Butterfield Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Anthony Ramsey Joseph Akin World Bankcard Services Sung Im Yolo County Weights and Measures Jack De Wit Perry Lawton Thayer Scale Todd Newman The Scale People Kyrsten Buck The Site Controller Unni Hish
ChargePoint Jared Ballew Contra Costa County Weights and Measures Frank Ipock County of Monterey Agricultural Commissioners Juan Hidalgo Curb Mobility, LLC Carolyn Castro Cuyahoga County Shaun Bland DDS Wireless Dominic Fung Delaware County Auditor David Rea EV Test Solutions LLC Isaac Carrera Grain Millers, Inc Connie Groth ICL Calibration Laboratories, Inc. Micahel Kelly Kistler Instument Corporation JT Kirkpatrick Alex Schumacher Krohne Bill Murray KW Plastics John Pittman L.B. Foster Company Jaob Capra LA County Agriculture Comm./ Weights and Measures Gloria Soniak Manual Castany
Alabama Department of Agriculture Weights and Measures Andrew Oates Alabama Petroleum Equipment Contractors Association Melinda Newell Aldelo, LP Julie Hu American Casting and Manufacturing Corporation Steven Diebold Arkansas Bureau of Standards Alexandr Maldonado Brian “Kenny” Wooldridge Teddy Dalton Avery Dennison Paul Riscalla Bard and Bard LLC Jason Bard California Department of Food and Agriculture
and Measures Matthew Palmer Pelstar LLC
Adam Subbs Sal Sanchez Juan Pitta Ralph Velarde Jamie Quroz Audrey Tu Gary Bilyeu California Division of Measurement Standards Matthew Douglas
Bhupendra Shah Phillips Scales Jim Perry Refill Exchnage Rose Galer Rutgers University Hani Nassif San Juaquin County Agrigulture Comm Kamal Bagri
Cargo Spectre, LLC Shai Bernstein CDFA Division of Measurement Standards Megan McWayne Certified Payments by Deluxe Jason Bergeron Changzhou Runningtech Sensing Co., Ltd. Eric Song
Maximiliano Regis LaPorte County Dakota Euler Loop Global Inc. Son Dang
San Luis Obispo County Weights and Measures Vincent Peinado Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office Andrew Kimura
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Whitney Corley
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2023 Issue 3
The Meetup
We would love to hear suggestions from you if you can offer a creative workaround. As this meeting has come to a close, we are already busy with the next. Arguably my favorite city, New Orleans will host our 2024 Interim Meeting in January. Registration is open and there you’ll find our reservation link for the Royal Sonesta New Orleans hotel, important dates to get the best deals, and exhibiting information. We will be in the heart of the French Quarter on Bourbon Street, just minutes away from Jackson Square, the French Market, and Algiers Point. Named for a royal family in France, not the alcohol, Bourbon Street is well known for the neon lights, open doors and windows, beads, and balconies. Bourbon Street extends 13 blocks from Canal Street to Esplanada Avenue before tapering off into the Marigny neighborhood. The street dates to 1718, when Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville founded it and French engineer Adrien de Pauger laid out the streets in 1721. The Royal Sonesta Hotel opened in 1969, but the site itself dates to when the city was founded and once contained stables, houses, and a brewery. The exterior of the hotel was designed to look like a typical 1830s row of houses and is an architectural style unique to New Orleans. Luckily for us, the interior has been renovated a time or two and will be a perfect spot for our meeting. Are you one who gets carried away in a book? Then I have quite the list for you. After realizing the missed opportunity in Savannah having not read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil prior to arriving, I took mental note to better prepare.. for all of us. Dan Baum’s Nine Lives: Mystery, Magic, Death and Life in New Orleans, Rebecca Solnit’s Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas, Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, and John Kennedy Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces should get you started. Please let me know how you like them and if you have more to add to this list. I purposefully left off books about the devastation caused from Hurricane Katrina, but there are many remarkable ones if you do a quick search. I am already looking forward to our “family reunion” on the eve of the Interim Meeting. Please make your travel plans to allow for an informal Saturday evening gathering where we can “laissez les bon temps rouler”! Register today and reserve your room- we will sell out of our block!
Elisa Stritt Director of Operations
Thank you for the wonderful turnout in Norfolk, Virginia for the 108th NCWM Annual Meeting! We had a productive week which included a few new events on the schedule. The Southern Weights and Measures’ Member Education and Mentorship held a New Attendee Orientation Training which benefitted new and established attendees alike. We at NCWM often hear questions from newer attendees such as, “When am I allowed to speak during Open Hearings and Committee Work Sessions? When and how can I participate? Which rules exist during voting?” and this was a fresh way to address some of those uncertainties in a new way. We know attendees are more likely to participate if there is a higher level of confidence and understanding in how the processes work; we know the more we participate, the more we feel a sense of belonging which is paramount in the eyes of the meeting planner. Please send ideas my way if you know of additional efforts we can make to make new attendees feel more at home. Another new meeting to the schedule was CALM which stands for Community for All Legal Metrologists and it drew in a few new faces to the week. We also offered a Tuesday afternoon panel discussion called Women in Weights and Measures. The feedback we have received, from both women and men, has been exciting and we’re planning to increase the momentum with a Tuesday afternoon breakout for WWM at the upcoming Interim Meeting. The breakout room will provide the women a more personal opportunity to network and discuss pressing issues. After each meeting we send attendees a survey asking for the good, the bad, and the ugly. Every attendee indicated they loved the host city of Norfolk, Virginia and I concur. The weather improved as attendees arrived, the historic downtown offered a variety of dining options within walking distance, and the city was clean and friendly. The only constructive criticism worth mentioning from the survey is that attendees want to be in two places at one time, particularly on Sunday and Tuesday afternoons. We are limited with our schedule and sometimes it results in popular meetings happening concurrently.
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Coming Up! 2024 NCWM Interim Meeting January 7 - 10 | New Orleans, Louisiana
The Interim Meeting is where our standing committees come together to hear testimony on new proposals brought forth from the regional meetings as well as carryover items from the previous year. In addition, the committees will determine the status of each item for the voting session of our Annual Meeting in July. Presentations, testimony, and
work sessions will occur through the week. Committee agendas will be available at www.ncwm.com/publication-15
MEETING LOCATION Royal Sonesta New Orleans 5300 Bourbon Street New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 Group Rate: $158 Prevailing Government Per Diem Make your hotel reservation here! Reservation Discount Deadline: December 15, 2023
EVENTS The Chairman’s Reception will honor Gene Robertson from the State of Mississippi. The reception will be Sunday, January 7th, from 5:30pm- 7:00pm. Dress is business casual.
Register online by December 15th to secure our discounted rate!
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NTEP Column- What Testing Does NTEP Perform?
40 Celsius/ 104 Fahrenheit then two at ambient temperature again. The temperature effect on zero is also evaluated during the environmental testing. A weight of 20 divisions is placed on the scale and the amount of drift during the change in temperature is evaluated. The scale is moved from the environmental chamber to the permanence test equipment. The permanence tester is a device that will apply half of the scale’s weight capacity to the scale 100 000 times to replicate usage. Once the 100 00 cy- cles have been completed an increase /decrease and shift test are performed again. The scale will have more than 20 increase/ decrease tests dur- ing the performance testing and the scale must maintain acceptance tolerance throughout all of the testing. The operational part of the testing is referred to as the “checklist” The checklist verifies all items for an instrument that are not performance relat - ed. The checklist from publication 14 for digital electronic scales is very thorough and 129 pages in length, not every page applies to every device evaluated since the checklist covers from class I thru class IIII devices. Here is a list of some of the items that will be evaluated when a device undergoes NTEP evaluation. Device Markings: Are the markings/identification, correct? Is there a place for the NTEP CC number and is all the required information there? Is the label durable and permanent in nature and does it show tam- pering when removed? Sealing: What is the method of sealing, physical or elec - tronic? What is the sealing category, is it cate - gory 1 category 2, or category 3, and if the in - strument uses an audit trail or event logger does it work correctly?
Jeff Gibson, NTEP Specialist
You know what NTEP is, do you know what NTEP does? This article will give some insight into all the laboratory testing that a 30 lb x 0.01 lb retail computing scale will endure before it is issued an NTEP certificate of conformance. The evaluation of a scale has two parts, the first is performance testing and the second is operational testing. First, let’s look at perfor - mance testing. During ambient temperature testing the scale will have four increase/decrease tests per - formed and a shift test performed. Four more increase/decrease tests at ambient temperature are performed when the bubble level’s sensitiv - ity is evaluated. A creep test will be performed between 90 and 100 percent of the scale’s capacity, typically taking half an hour. When the scale is moved into the environmental chamber a portability test is performed which is an increase/decrease test to make sure the scale maintains its accuracy when it has been moved. The scale will have AC voltage tested and if equipped with batteries DC voltage will be test - ed. All voltage variation testing is performed at fifteen percent below the nominal voltage and ten percent above the nominal voltage. For en - vironmental testing, there are two increase /de- crease tests at ambient temperature then two at minus 10 Celsius/ 14 Fahrenheit then two at
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Zero Setting Mechanisms: Do the semi-automatic zero setting mechanism(SAZSM) and automatic zero tracking (AZT) work correctly and meet requirements?
Tare Mechanisms: Pushbutton, percentage, proportional, and PLU linked, will all be evaluated to make sure they oper - ate in the correct manner.
Indication and Registration: Does the instrument have the weighing units marked, do the annunciators for motion, stability, and center of zero if equipped work correctly, and does the unit conversion key work correctly if equipped? Is the printed label or tape format correct with the weight values identified? Optional Features: NTEP looks at all instrument features when a device is evaluated even if there is no metrologi - cal significance to the feature. Here are some examples, Wireless communication (wi-fi, Blue - tooth) Power supplies (Solar, battery, POE), platter types ( roller ball, conveyor), remote displays (pedestal, pole mounted, remote to PC and mobile devices). Different types of materials used for construction (mild steel, stainless steel, plastic) types of displays ( LED, VGA, or LCD), enclosure mounting types,(Din, panel, wall, or desk mount ) external printing capability, and many more.
For more information on this topic contact Darrell Flocken, NTEP Administrator at darrell.flocken@ncwm.com , or Jeff Gibson, NTEP Specialist at jeff.gibson@ncwm.com
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EVENT CALENDAR
Looking Forward...
2023 September WWMA Annual Meeting Sparks, Nevada September 17- 21 NTEP Measuring Sector Meeting Milwaukee, Wisconsin September 19 - 21 NTEP Software Sector Meeting Milwaukee, Wisconsin September 19 - 21
109 th NCWM Annual Meeting July 14 - 18, 2024 | Cleveland, Ohio
The Annual Meeting is the high point of our year where all the hard work pays off. At this meeting, stakeholders will debate important proposals to amend the United States standards for weights and measures. When the debating is done, the votes will be cast. Our committees have their work cut out for them with some very full and diverse agendas. Committee reports will be available at: www.ncwm.com/publication-16
October
MEETING LOCATION The Renaissance Cleveland Hotel 24 Public Square Cleveland, Ohio 44113 (216) 696-5600
SWMA Annual Meeting Annapolis, Maryland October 8th-11th NEWMA Interim Meeting Norwich, Connecticut October 17th-19th
Group Rate: $137, P revailing Government Per Diem Reservation Discount Deadline: June 24th, 2024 Reserve your hotel room here!
January
2024 Interim Meeting New Orleans, Louisiana January 7th-10th
EVENTS The Chairman’s Reception will honor Gene Robertson from the State of Mississippi. The reception will be Sunday, July 30th from 5:30pm-7:00pm. The reception attire is business casual. The Special Event will be held Wednesday, July 17th, 2024 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Attire will be casual. Register and reserve your room online by June 24th, 2024 to secure our discounted rate!
July
109th Annual Meeting Cleveland, Ohio July 14th-18th
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Safety Column Metrology Laboratory Safety John Bell, Missouri Department of Agriculture
feet from falling weights or other items that may be dropped in the lab. They also help with slipping or falls if they have specially designed antiskid tread on them. Steel toe boots or shoes are one of the required clothing when attending any NIST metrology training. Protective gloves are used to protect the weights from any contaminants on our hands and to protect our hands from any contaminants that may be present on the weights or the metal provers. Other safety PPE apparel include hard hats, earplugs or noise cancelling headphones, and high Vis safety vests. Finally on this list is ergonomics. Ergonomics help us stay safe by keeping us comfortable while working. Items like adjustable office chairs, tables, and desks are important while working at your desk. More important within a metrology lab are items like the automated lifting arm, which assists in lifting and maneuvering up to 150 lb weights. When pallets of 50 lb weights come in to the lab it is nice to have a piece of equipment like this around to reduce the chances of dropping the weight, pulling a muscle, or injuring your back. Another handy tool to have in any metrology lab is a 5-gallon test measure dump station with sink. This handy tool helps alleviate lab staff from having to lift the heavy water filled 5 gallon test measures onto a countertop in order to read the scale plate or lift the test measure to drain it. The empty test measure is placed on a cradle at about chest height and filled from above. Once the reading and temperature is taken, the cradle rocks back and the test measure is drained into the sink making for an incredibly easy and efficient test. Other safety items in the lab include safety railings for any staircase and raised platforms where large provers may be sitting, ladder cages to prevent falls from mounted ladders, and signage. Signs help make us aware of the many dangers present within any facility. While this may not exhaustive list, it is important to keep all of these items in mind when entering a metrology lab and any other facility. Remember your training, take your time, and follow any protocols a lab or facility may have to keep you, your employees, and your customers safe.
Many states around the country have a Metrology Laboratory. These laboratories store their state’s mass and volume standards, assist state inspectors by calibrating field standards, and calibrate private company’s weights, test measures, and various other measuring devices. While in the course of their job, metrology laboratory staff encounter several safety related issues on a daily basis. The forklift is among one of the most dangerous pieces of equipment a laboratory staff can operate. The possibility of injury to the driver or a spectator can occur without the proper training and precautions. Forklifts should have warning lights that blink or rotate, a backup alarm, an emergency brake, and various other safety options. Newer forklifts should come with these safety features and older ones may need to be modified to include some of those features to help protect coworkers and customers who may be assisting the driver. The forks are dangerous and should be lowered while in motion. Always drive with the view unobstructed by lowering the forks in order to see where you are going. Remember to shut off the propane tank for forklifts that use that type of fuel. I would also point out that the pallet jack, whether automated or manual, can also be very dangerous, especially when heavy cargo is elevated. The operator must always be in control and should be prepared to stop by dropping the cargo or pressing the brake if the load becomes unstable or if there is loss of control. Another dangerous piece of equipment within some metrology labs is the manual or automated hoist and trolley. To help move large weights up and down and/ or left and right the hoist and trolley can make moving weights a breeze. Operators must always be aware of several things: maximum weight of the hoist and trolley system, weight ratings for chains, hooks, and bolts, hoist and trolley speed, and metal fatigue. All of these factors must be addressed in order to avoid damage to the lab or equipment and, most importantly, to avoid injuries to laboratory staff. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is crucial for all laboratories including Metrology. I believe one of the most important pieces of PPE for metrologists are mechanics gloves and protective eyewear. The padded gloves protect hands when adjusting cast iron weights. The chances are high that most metrologists have bashed a finger, knuckle, or thumb when trying to open or close a cast iron weight. Protective eyewear is for small pieces of metal that may act as shrapnel when banging on the cast iron weight or the steel rod used to help seal the weight. Steel toe boots or shoes are also very important to protect your
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