2022_NCWM Newsletter, Issue #3

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 Mahesh Albuquerque, NCWM Chairman — State of Colorado

2022 Issue 3

Chairman’s Column..........................1 NTEP Column...................................4 2023 Interim Meeting........................6 NCWM Welcomes New Members...................................7 Event Calendar.................................8 108th NCWM Annual Meeting...........8 Tip of The Month...............................9 Publication News..............................11 Safety Column..................................15 Employment Oppertunites................17

chairs, and most of all our amaz- ing NCWM staff, all of whom have shown us a great deal about the value and strength of the NCWM. Attending all the regional meetings with Ivan this past year has given me a deeper respect, pride, and appreciation for the amazing talent, expertise, and work of our members across the country. Thank you all for making the 107th NCWM Annual Meeting in Tacoma, Washington a very special event. It was great to see familiar faces and meet new attendees from across the country, and to build and strengthen these friendships over meals and drinks. Meetings are just not the same in virtual settings and do not do justice to the NCWM meeting experience. When you get a group of like-minded people together, it is amazing to feel the energy and enthusiasm in conver- sations, over topics from methods of sale to test procedures and toler- ances. The amazing experience, talent, and dedication of participants at the NCWM meetings always inspires me. It was humbling and rewarding to get to introduce the award recipients at the Honors and Awards ceremony, especially friends like Ron Hayes, recipient of the NCWM Outstanding Contribu- tions Award, as well as Jack Walsh and Steve Giguere, recipients of

Collaborating with partners and stake- holders for a greater measure of equity. Dear NCWM Family, Let me begin by thanking you, the membership, for the opportunity to serve as your Chairman for this year. This is not a job I have volun- teered for, but a privilege you have allowed me to experience. And what a privilege it’s been, working with and learning from Past-Chair- man Ivan Hankins, outgoing Past- Chairman Hal Prince, Chair-Elect Gene Robertson, the Board of Di- rectors, our Standing Committees, Subcommittees and Workgroup

NCWM Headquarters 1135 M Street, Suite 110 Lincoln, Nebraska 68508 P. 402.434.4880

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Don Onwiler Executive Director Darrell Flocken NTEP Administrator Allen Katalinic NTEP Evaluator Ed Payne NTEP Evaluator Elisa Stritt Meeting Planner Danyelle Dolan Project Coordinator

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2. Strengthen and develop strategic partner- ships to advocate member interests Another theme I heard was the need to raise awareness of the importance of the work we do, not just to the public, but in many cases within our own agencies. I would like to see more part- ner and stakeholder engagement in the manner we have begun engaging with NASDA. Besides engaging and advocating for our members at the federal level, I am hopeful that our Associate Mem- bers can collaborate with us in new ways that add value for our membership. 3. Ensure a sustainable organization As with any successful organization, and now that we are meeting in person again, the NCWM Board of Directors will be reviewing and updating our strategic plan to ensure it keeps pace with the changes around us. I understand NIST OWM is undertaking a similar effort. Don and I are commit - ted to engage collaboratively with Dr. Katrice Lippa and NIST leadership over the course of the year to discuss updating the decades old MOU between our two agencies, so that it is more reflective of our current operations. Moving forward, strategic planning will require a focus on innovation, along

the NCWM Distinguished Service Award. The honor to serve as Chairman of the NCWM is especially meaningful to me because unlike many of you, my background was not in weights and measures. I began my career in the early nine- ties as an environmental consultant in the midwest working on petroleum release cleanups for the petroleum industry, and then in 1999 joined the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety (OPS) as an environmental protection specialist over- seeing much of the same. I was first exposed to weights and measures in 2002 as our Petroleum Laboratory Supervisor and then more so in 2003 as a Field Inspection Program Manager. While vaguely familiar with the NIST handbooks, I was for the most part unaware of the NIST OWM and the NCWM, until Kristin Macey who was then at the Colorado Department of Agriculture, invited me to participate in a NIST Administrators work- shop in Denver in 2004. That meeting was so impactful in opening my eyes to the scope and importance of weights and measures, and the resources available through NIST and the NCWM. I left that workshop feeling rejuvenated, proud, and optimistic about my work in ensuring Equity in the Marketplace, and knew right then that I needed to get more engaged in regional and national confer- ences. I also immediately started making improve- ments to our program to align with national prac- tices. I attended my first NCWM Annual Meeting in 2005 in Orlando, Florida. The hot topic then was temperature compensation. Little did I know then that my experience at that conference, and all the other NCWM meetings I have attended since then, would have such a profound impact on shaping not just my career, but more importantly the ca- reers of many of my staff at the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety. As I mentioned in my remarks at the annual meet- ing in Tacoma, the COVID pandemic has trans- formed nearly every aspect of our world. It has caused dramatic shifts in our jobs, our lives, and the choices we make as consumers. Working from home, online shopping, and curbside pickup have become the norm. E-commerce and contact-

with leadership adjustments that include an ex- panded vision, broader inclusion of membership, and milestone markers for accountability. It needs to be our compass to guide us into the future, so that we can continue Ensuring Equity and Uniform Standards in a Changing Marketplace. I am looking forward to seeing many of you again at your regional meetings, or at the 2023 NCWM Interim Meeting in Savannah, Georgia on January 8th -11th, 2023. Between now and then, I would love to hear from you with any questions, concerns, ideas, or suggestions for improving the NCWM. Your opinions always matter. Sincerely, Mahesh

less payments are here to stay, and these chang- es touch the work we all do. The marketplace will continue to evolve and we need to be agile and innovative to stay relevant. As much as we would all want to “get back to normal”, I think we need to embrace innovation to create our “new normal”. Innovation requires thinking outside the box, ex- perimenting and trying out new things. Thankfully, the NCWM Board of Directors has been doing just that. We have utilized technology to ensure that our annual and interim meetings continued, and have demonstrated agility holding them virtually, in hybrid settings, or in person with live stream op- tions. Contemplating changes like voting twice a year, recognizing the use of field reference stan - dards or master meters and other devices like digital density meters are exactly the kind of things we need to be doing. Adopting the Priority Item on EVSE is also indicative of our ability to utilize our consensus process to effectively react to changing marketplace conditions. I am very optimistic about the future of NCWM. I think the annual meeting in Tacoma was evidence that we are on a trajectory to our new normal. I would like us to gain momentum on this trajec- tory and continue with some of the things Ivan has rolled out like inspection manuals and marketplace surveys, and pilot some new ones. To that end, I plan to focus on the following three areas that tie into my theme for this year: Collaborating with partners and stakeholders for a greater measure of equity. 1. Providing assistance to the membership One common theme I heard as I attended regional meetings was the need for education and hands on training, especially for new employees coming on in these times of the Great Retirement. I would like us to explore opportunities to collaborate with NIST and subject matter experts from industry and regulators to develop some new training offerings. Maybe laying the groundwork for a future educa- tional NCWM Technical Conference and Trade Show.

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and what can the manufacturer of such a device do if they want an NTEP certificate? As noted ear - lier in this column, NTEP must first make sure the device in question definitively falls under a code in NIST Handbook 44 and that there is an applicable checklist in NCWM Publication 14. If not, NTEP ad- ministration must reject the requested application. If NCWM believes a new technology or device war- rants the development of evaluation criteria, NTEP can be directed to assist in that endeavor by form- ing and supporting a Work Group whose focus is the development of the necessary documents or supporting the effort through one of the NTEP Technical Sectors. Hopefully, this article has helped eliminate some of the confusion and answer questions that may have been on your mind. If you have additional ques- tions or would like to discuss the content of this article, contact Darrell Flocken at darrell.flocken@ ncwm.com

criteria exist in NIST Handbook 44 (e.g. electronic scales); and to new technologies or device applica- tions where the development of criteria is deemed necessary. In general, type evaluations will be conducted on all equipment that affect the measurement process or the validity of the transaction (e.g. electronic cash registers interfaced with scales and service station consoles interfaced with retail fuel dispensers); and all equipment to the point of the first indicated or re - corded representation of the final quantity on which the transaction will be based.” The first two sentences in the first paragraph acknowledge that not all devices will be evaluated. Typical examples are timing devices, odometers, and linear measures. In order for NTEP to evaluate a device, there must be an applicable code in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Handbook 44 and a formal NTEP device evaluation technical policy and checklist. As we know, weights and measures officials are accustomed to performing initial and subsequent verifications on devices and main elements of devices traceable to an NTEP Certificate of Con - formance (CC). However, that is not true for all devices. There are always exceptions when it is deemed necessary and appropriate. For example, recently, NTEP worked with manufacturers of a product dispensing device to bring it into compli- ance with NIST Handbook 44 scales code. The device was originally labeled a product vending machine and was turned away by NTEP because the device did not fit under any code in NIST Hand - book 44. After the device manufacturer made some modifications to the device’s operation, it became a weighing device / point-of-sale system. Some peo- ple are stating the project is a significant example of NCWM and NTEP working in professional co- operation with stakeholders to help develop device and evaluation criteria for devices not specifically mentioned in any of the NIST Handbook 44 codes. There are other reasons why NTEP does not eval- uate all devices. First, NTEP does not have the resources to evaluate all types of devices subject to Handbook 44 regulation. There are a limited number of labs and evaluators. Second, some de- vices are subject to such a simple test, e.g., timing devices, that they can be effectively controlled by field enforcement testing. So how does NTEP make these kinds of decisions

NTEP Column The National Type Evaluation Program does not Evaluate and Issue Certificates fo All Types of Devices -- Why Not? Darrell Flocken, NTEP Administrator

We should first look at the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) Publication 14, NTEP Administrative Policy, Section 3, titled “ De- vices to be Submitted for Type Evaluation ”. The first two paragraphs of this section state: “More equipment is subject to weights and measures enforcement than is subject to NTEP evaluation. The additional equipment is controlled through routine field inspections. The scope of NTEP evaluations is typically limited to devices for which formal type evaluation criteria exist; to devices for which definitive

Portions of this article were originally written by Mr. James Truex and published in a 2018 NCWM News- letter to help explain why the National Type Evalu- ation Program (NTEP) does not evaluate all types of devices. Recently, NTEP has been contacted by manufacturers of water dispensers, drinks dispens- ers, and cordage measures devices and it seems appropriate to share the information from the origi- nal article as many want to know why NTEP has rejected these requests. We will attempt to explain the rationale for those decisions in this article.

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NCWM Welcomes New Members (7/1/2022-9/1/2022)

Coming Up! 2023 NCWM Interim Meeting January 8th-11th, 2023 | Savannah, Georgia The Interim Meeting is the time of our year where proposals are brought forth for discussion. At this meeting, stakeholders will discuss important proposals to amend the United States standards for weights and measures. When open hearings are finished, committees will deliberate and report the status of each item. Our committees have their work cut out for them with some very full and diverse agendas. Committee agendas will be available at:

Brodie International Paul Chastain C&A Scales Service Inc. Keith Clausen California Department of Food and Agriculture Demielle Noll-Tennin Michael Lawrence Centrodyne Philip Steiner Colusa County Agriculture Commissioners Office Maria Allen ESPERA-WERKE GMBH Florian Klimmek ExxonMobil Celeste Bynum Fairbanks Scales Thomas Luke Fluke Han Tran Lousianna Department of Agriculture and Forestry Kevin Lee Jahn Fage Mettler-Toledo GmbH Alain Frenguelli Minnesota Department of Weights and Measures Ethan Lahn Sarah Cole Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce Erica Griffin Missouri Department of Agriculture Houston Naugher

Montana Weights and Measures Jason Coates Mew Mexico Department of Agriculture Ron Barone North Carolina Department of Agriculture Michael Amberg Northampton County Weights and Measures Gary Rute Precia Molen, NA John Rebant Robert Douglas Farm Justin Lewin Salina Scales Sales and Service Inc. Racchel McCullick South Dakota Office of Weights and Measures Russ Lauritsen System Scale Corporation Danny Dunston Texas Scales Chris Chinni Trinity County Weights and Measures Angela Blanchard West Virginia Weights and Measures, Division of Labor

www.ncwm.com/publication-15 MEETING LOCATION Hyatt Regency Savannah 2 West Bay Street Savannah, GA 31401

Group Rate: $120 Prevailing Government Per Diem Reservation Discount Deadline: December 15th, 2022 Click here to book your online reservation!

EVENTS : The Chairman’s Reception is Sunday, January 8th, from 5:30pm-7:00pm, honoring Mr. Mahesh Albuquerque from the State of Colorado. The reception attire is business casual. Register Online by December 15th to secure discounted rates!

Lyle Roachell Alysan Miller James Wayne Yamsol LLC Syed Waqar Naqvi

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frefaerfaef EVENT CALENDAR

Looking Forward... 2023 NCWM Annual Meeting July 30th- August 3rd, 2023 | Norfolk, Virginia 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

2022 September NTEP Measuring Meeting Annapolis, Maryland September 20th-21st, 2022 WWMA Annual Meeting Garden Grove, California September 25th - 29th, 2022 October SWMA Annual Meeting Raleigh, North Carolina October 9th-12th, 2022 NEWMA Interim Meeting Virtual October 25th-26th, 2022

MEETING LOCATION Norfolk Waterside Marriott 235 East Main Street Norfolk , VA 23510 (757) 627-4200

Group Rate: $96 Prevailing Government Per Diem Reservation Discount Deadline: July 7th, 2023 EVENTS

2023 January

The Chairman’s Reception is Sunday, July, 30th, from 5:30pm- 7:00pm, honoring Mr. Mahesh Albuquerque from the State of Colorado. The reception attire is business casual.

NCWM Interim Meeting Savannah, Georgia January 8th-11th, 2023 July

Comparing Price and 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 confi - dence, knowing that they are getting what they pay for at the super- market. Contact your local Weights and Measures Authority with questions or concerns.

Register Online today at https://www.ncwm.com/events-detail/108th-nc- wm-annual-meeting-norfolk-va Deadline to secure discounted rates! July 7th, 2023

108th NCWM Annual Meeting Norfolk, Virginia July 30th-August 3rd, 2023

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Look for Upcoming Changes to Publications

Publications

At the NCWM Annual Meeting this summer, NIST OWM Chief Dr. Katrice Lippa and NCWM Executive Director Don Onwiler announced some changes in publications coming in the next year. NIST has published the NCWM Annual Reports since its first meeting in 1905. The reports provide a historical record of the business and a valuable resource for understanding the deliberations leading to the adoption and evolution of the NCWM standards published by NIST in Handbooks 44, 130 and 133. NIST has asked NCWM to assume responsibility for publishing the NCWM Annual Reports from now on. This will allow Dr. Lippa’s team in the Office of Weights and Measures to focus on a new Special Pub - lication that summarizes their annual activities in U.S. legal metrology. Their goal is to release the first of this new publication this fall. NIST has already published a combined report of the 2020 and 2021 An- nual Meetings. NCWM will republish the reports of those Annual Meet- ings as separate reports for each year. NCWM and NIST have worked together to make this a smooth transition in publication responsibilities and both organizations will maintain accessible copies of the reports. NCWM is also developing new Inspector Field Training Manuals. The first on Retail Motor Fuel Dispensers is available for download under the Inspector Field Training Manuals tab at https://www.ncwm.com/training . A second is under development for Retail Computing Scales.Both, NIST and NCWM are excited for these new developments in publications and look forward to introducing them to you soon!

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Package Checking WinWam Package Checking Software is designed for W&M officials and quality assurance professionals to perform standard and random inspections in accordance with NIST Handbook 133. WinWam Package Checking Software guides you through the inspection process. Error, MAV, Cost Error are calculated for each test. Color displays allow easy identification of Pass Fail or Gray Areas. Some of the features include:

Device Inspection WinWam Device Inspection Software is designed to perform and record Handbook 44 inspections WinWam Device Inspection Software supports all devices specified in Handbook 44 including but not limited to: scales, (apothecary, computing, livestock, shipping, vehicles, etc.) meters, LP Gas, LMD, linear devices, timing devices, etc. Whether acceptance or maintenance WinWam calculates tolerances for nearly all tests.

There is only one Software product that addresses all of your Weights & Measures Inspection needs. That tool is WinWam Software. WinWam Software is a collection of four powerful modules, which can be purchased separately or together. All of the Weights & Measure modules have been built to perform inspections in accordance with NIST regulations. One Tool and # 1 Inspection Software. WinWam is the most widely used Weights & Measures inspection software on the market. Currently, thirty-one (31) states have purchased WinWam, along with numerous county and city governments. One Tool: # 1 Inspection Software WinWam Software

▪ Category A & B Sampling Plans ▪ Automatically Calculates MAV’s Normal USDA Standard, USDA Fluid, Bark Mulch, Polyethylene Sheeting ▪ Allow variations due to moisture loss ▪ Calculates SEL and Standard Deviation ▪ Dynamically calculates Rc/Rt for tare ▪ Calculates conversion factors for volume inspections ▪ Calculates Cost Error, Average Error, Average Cost Error % Error

WinWam Device Inspection Software provides a comprehensive

database of business establishments with a complete inventory of devices. Full detail inspection data allows management the ability to better measure economic impact of the W&M program.

Price Verification WinWam Price Verification Software is designed in accordance with NIST Handbook 130. The Software runs standalone or with a handheld scanner. Software calculates error, lot cost error, net dollar error and calculates Over / Under Ratio. Accommodates Intentional Under-charge and Not On File.

Hypertext Handbooks Hypertext Handbooks are a collection of on-line reference manuals in which the user can view government regulations, search on a particular topic and print any part of the handbook with the touch of a button.

2022 Hypertext Handbooks available now!

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Safety Column A Resource For Safety Ron Armstrong Northwest Tank and Environmental Services Inc. Safety Officer

Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders Ergonomics and musculoskeletal disorders have be- come a greater focus in the safety industry. Ergonom- ics is the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment to prevent injuries and disorders that affect the human body’s movement. The purpose of such is to mitigate musculoskeletal disorders. Muscu- loskeletal disorders (MSD’s) are injuries or pain in the human body including the joints, muscles, ligaments nerves, tendons and supporting structures in the neck, back and limbs. Ergonomics, then, are the practices, processes and products put into place to mitigate musculoskeletal disorders. MSD’s can occur from exertion, repetitive motions, repetitive force, vibration or poor posture. I experienced this first hand when I assembled a din - ing room table and eight chairs using a hex wrench. It wasn’t a difficult task. It was, however, repetitive having to use one hand to turn the wrench in the same direction over and over again. After completing my project, I began getting a pain in the joint of my right thumb. It was the constant turning and tightening down of the bolts that had caused an MSD. One way to avoid MSDs is through administrative controls. Administrative controls make some kind of change to a person’s behavior. It would include mov- ing your feet opposed to twisting your body. If I had simply taken several ten or fifteen minute breaks, I probably would have avoided this injury. Both are examples of administrative controls.

Another way to avoid MSDs is through engineering controls. Engineering controls are a better solution than administrative controls because they make some kind of change in the worker’s environment or equip- ment. A power tool would have been an engineering control that would have mitigated my injury. Where engineering controls are not possible, administrative controls are the next best solution. One thing to keep in mind is that maintaining your body in a neutral position will protect you from MSDs. The two images below are good examples. These are both ergonomic mice. The one on the left is considered ergonomic because it fits the neutral position of your hand. When your hand is held in a neutral position, it forms a cup. The mouse on the right is also considered ergonomic, but takes into consideration the neutral position of your wrist. With your arm hanging at your side, you will notice that your palm is not directly facing your leg. It’s turned at a 45 degree angle. This is its neutral position. The mouse on the right accounts for that neutral position. The mouse on the left is ergonomic as far as your hand is concerned, but can lead to problems in your wrist and forearm. The mouse on the right is a better solution since it takes into consideration your hand and wrist, making it the more ergonomic option.

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Thank you for your support of NCWM!

NCWM is proud to serve the weights and measures community, both private and public sectors, by listing employment opportunities. Any organization that maintains memberships with NCWM may request positions be posted online for public viewing at: www.ncwm.com/employment-opportunities If you wish to post employment opportunity information, please send inquiries to: info@ncwm.com Employment Opportunities

If you ever begin feeling pain or discomfort from being in a static position, repetitive motion, vibration, repetitive force or strain because of duration or frequency, consider applying engineering controls. If that cannot be achieved, then consider administrative controls to alleviate your pain or discomfort. This article only scratches the surface of what could be said about ergonomics and MSDs, but hope- fully gets you thinking in the right direction concerning your work environment with its processes, products and practices.

Ron Armstrong Northwest Tank & Environmental Services, Inc. Safety Officer

National Conference on Weights and Measures “That Equity May Prevail”

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