Weights and Measures Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1605)

• 178 (1) An electronic machine shall perform within the applicable limits of error, when tested after being calibrated and zeroed, under relative humidity conditions between 10 per cent and 95 per cent, and under one of the following operating conditions:

  • (a) the ambient temperature range is -10°C to +40°C, unless expressly specified otherwise on the approval application and marked on the machine;

  • (b) if the specified minimum temperature is lower than -10°C or the specified maximum temperature is more than +40°C, the machine shall bear markings specifying the minimum and maximum temperatures and shall be approved for use within this expanded temperature range, if Measurement Canada laboratories are equipped to test at those temperatures;

  • (c) when a machine meets the conditions described in paragraphs (a) and (b), it may be used beyond the approved minimum and maximum temperatures if it continues to perform within allowable limits of error; or

  • (d) if the specified minimum temperature is higher than -10°C or the specified maximum temperature is less than +40°C, the machine shall bear markings specifying the minimum and maximum temperatures and shall only be approved for use within this reduced temperature range.

• (2) The difference between the specified minimum and maximum temperatures for an electronic machine shall not be less than

  • (a) 5°C for machines with more than 50,000 increments of registration;

  • (b) 15°C for machines used to weigh precious metals and other commodities of comparable value; and

  • (c) 30°C for machines used to weigh commodities other than precious metals or commodities of comparable value.

• (3) An electronic machine shall perform within the applicable limits of error when tested at a constant ambient temperature that does not vary more than 5°C.

• 179 (1) When a load remains on an electronic machine, the difference between the indication that is obtained at the moment that the load is applied and the indication that is obtained eight hours after its application shall not exceed the permissible acceptance limit of error for the applied load.

• (2) The variation on returning to zero after the removal of a load which has remained on an electronic machine for half an hour may not exceed one half the value of the minimum increment of registration.

• (3) The weight indication at zero or near zero on an electronic machine shall not vary by more than the value of the minimum increment of registration for a difference in ambient temperature of 5°C.

180 An electronic machine shall perform within the applicable limits of error when scanned at a distance of 2 metres with

• (a) a 460-MHz (commercial) 4-watt hand-held communicator; and

• (b) a 27-MHz (citizens’ band) 4-watt hand-held communicator.

181 When a machine that is equipped with a self-indicating or semi-self-indicating means of registration is tested by one of the following methods, the acceptance limits of error and in-service limits of error are 1.5 times the limits of error set out in the tables to sections 176 and 177 and set out in sections 188 and 192:

• (a) the removal of a known test load, in the case of a machine that is normally used for weighing following the addition of load; or

• (b) the addition of a known test load, in the case of a machine that is normally used for weighing following the subtraction of load.

• 182 (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) and sections 188 and 192, the minimum limit of error when a machine is tested for acceptance limits of error or in-service limits of error is a weight equivalent to the lesser of 0.05 per cent at the capacity of the machine and one minimum increment of registration.

• (2) The minimum limit of error for a railway track scale used exclusively in weighing railway cars is the greater of 15 kg or 30 pounds, and the value of the minimum increment of registration.

• (3) In a strain test at a heavy duty scale, there shall be no minimum limit of error in respect of the known test load that is added to the strain load and the limit of error for a machine with digital registration shall not be increased as described in section 184.

183 On removal of all load from a machine, the means of registration of the machine shall immediately return to zero registration within a range equivalent to the greater of

• (a) ¼ of the value of the minimum increment of registration, and

• (b) 0.01 per cent of the capacity of the machine.

184 Subject to subsection 182(3), if a machine has digital increments of registration, the acceptance limits of error and in-service limits of error applicable to the digital registrations of the machine shall be increased beyond the limits of error otherwise applicable to the digital registrations of the machine by the equivalent of one-half the minimum increment of registration.

• 185 (1) Where a test consisting of the application to a machine of the same test load up to 10 times is carried out under conditions approximating conditions of normal use, the difference between the least registered load and the greatest registered load shall not exceed the absolute value set out in column II or III, as applicable, of an item of the appropriate table to sections 176 and 177 that corresponds to the known test load set out in column I of that item that is equivalent to the greatest registered load.

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to the testing of a machine in accordance with subsection 189.2(1), 190(2) or 191(1) or (2).

186 An electronic machine shall be able to withstand vertical forces up to 150 per cent of its rated capacity without affecting its calibration.

187 An electronic machine shall be able to operate within plus or minus 10 per cent of its voltage rating and within plus or minus 2 per cent of its frequency rating.

188 Where a hopper scale or a tank scale referred to in subsection 172(2) has a capacity equal to or greater than 15 000 kg or 35,000 pounds,

• (a) the acceptance limits of error for that scale are the greater of 0.05 per cent of the known test load and the value of the minimum increment of registration; and

• (b) the in-service limits of error for that scale are the greater of 0.10 per cent of the known test load and the value of the minimum increment of registration.

189 Where a static test is conducted on a railway track scale that is designed for in-motion weighing, the acceptance limits of error for the scale are those prescribed by section 174 and the in-service limits of error for the scale are those prescribed by section 175.

• 189.1 (1) In sections 189.2, 190 and 191,

  reference car

  reference car means a railway car the weight of which has been determined in relation to a relevant local standard. (wagon de référence)

• (2) In sections 190 and 191,

  net known test load

  net known test load means the difference between the static weight of a loaded reference car and the static weight of an empty reference car. (charge connue nette)

• 189.2 (1) Subject to subsection 182(2), where a railway track scale that is designed for in-motion weighing of uncoupled railway cars is tested dynamically, the acceptance limit of error and in-service limit of error for the scale are 0.15 per cent of the known weight of each reference car.

• (2) The limits of error set out in subsection (1) apply to a test that consists of five reference cars passing over the railway track scale up to 10 times, under conditions approximating conditions of normal use.

• (3) The reference cars referred to in subsections (1) and (2) shall be representative of the types and weight range of the railway cars for which the railway track scale is intended to be used.

• 190 (1) In this section, unit train or UT means a train composed of at least 10 coupled railway cars of the same type carrying the same product to one consignee. (train-bloc or TB)

• (2) Where a railway track scale that is designed for the in-motion weighing of unit trains is tested dynamically, the acceptance limit of error and in-service limit of error for the scale are 0.15 per cent of the sum of the net known test load of all of the reference cars in the train that are weighed.

• (3) The test referred to in subsection (2) shall not be conducted more than 10 times.

• (4) The reference cars and the length of the train used in the test referred to in subsection (2) shall be representative of the types and weight range of the railway cars and length of the trains for which the railway track scale is intended to be used.

• 191 (1) Where a railway track scale that is designed for the in-motion weighing of individual coupled railway cars forming a train, and is used solely for determining transportation charges for commodities, is tested dynamically, the acceptance limits of error and in-service limits of error for the scale are the following:

  • (a) at least 70 per cent of the individual weights of the reference cars shall be within 0.2 per cent of the known individual static weight of those reference cars;

  • (b) not more than five per cent of the individual weights of the reference cars shall differ by more than 0.5 per cent from the known individual static weights of those reference cars; and

  • (c) the weight of an individual reference car shall not differ by more than one per cent from the known static weight of that reference car.

• (2) Where a railway track scale referred to in subsection (1), used for a purpose other than determining transportation charges for commodities, is tested dynamically, the acceptance limit of error and in-service limit of error for each dynamic weighing are 0.15 per cent of the net known test load.

• (3) The tests referred to in subsections (1) and (2) shall not be conducted more than 10 times.

• (4) The reference cars and the length of the train used in the tests referred to in subsections (1) and (2) shall be representative of the types and weight range of the railway cars and length of the trains for which the railway track scale is intended to be used.

192 When a crane scale is used in the weighing of freight to determine freight or shipping charges, the acceptance limit of error and in-service limit of error are 0.5 per cent of the known test load, but not less than 0.125 per cent of the capacity of the scale.

193 The acceptance limits of error and the in-service limits of error applicable to a continuous totalizing weighing machine shall be 0.5 per cent of the known weight of the material used to test the machine if the machine

• (a) was designed for the in-motion weighing of commodities to determine freight or shipping charges or is used solely for this purpose; or

• (b) was designed for the in-motion weighing of raw material such as sand, gravel, crushed rock, crude ore or other materials of comparable value or is used solely for this purpose.

194 and 195 [Repealed, SOR/98-115, s. 22]

196 The load discrimination of a machine equipped with a self-indicating or semi-self-indicating means of registration of either the analogue or the digital type shall be such that for the purpose of determining compliance with the acceptance limits of error or in-service limits of error for the machine and at any load from zero to maximum capacity, the addition to or removal from the load-receiving element of a weight corresponding to 1.4 times the value of the minimum increment of registration shall cause a change in registration equal to or greater than the value of the minimum increment of registration.

197 An electronic computing machine, other than one for prepackaging use, shall clear all digital indications of total price and price per unit of weight and shall extinguish the tare indication either when the commodity is removed from the load-receiving element or before another commodity is weighed and its price is computed.

198 When an electronic computing machine is in prepackaging mode there shall be a visual indication on both the operator and customer sides of the machine, whether by the words “for prepackaging use” or words that convey the same meaning.

199 The junction boxes of an electronic machine, other than an electronic computing machine, shall be equipped with a sealing mechanism when they contain calibration adjustments.

200 When the indicator of an electronic machine, other than an electronic computing machine, is connected to two or more weighing locations, each of which may consist of one or more load-receiving elements,

• (a) the indicator shall be equipped with a separate calibrating circuit for each weighing location, so that the adjustment of one circuit will not affect the calibration of any other;

• (b) each calibrating circuit shall be marked to identify which weighing location it controls and that indication shall be clearly visible by any party to the transaction for which the machine is being used;

• (c) the indicator shall be equipped with an automatic means to clearly identify any weighing location that is in use; and

• (d) any interconnecting cable that may affect the calibration shall be identified to indicate the weighing location to which it is connected.

Installation and Use

201 [Repealed, SOR/98-115, s. 23]

202 An installed machine shall be protected against wind, rain, blowing snow, extremes of temperature, variations in electromagnetic and electrostatic fields and any abnormal conditions of use to ensure that the machine can measure accurately and is not subject to premature deterioration in performance.