Application: Uses of Metrology

Metrology plays an important function to society and international trade.

Legal metrology (or weights and measures) is usually the first of the QI to be established in any country, and also the one with the longest history – going back at least 3000 years. Traditionally, legal metrology dealt with measurements in trade, ensuring that customers are given the correct amount of product traded on the strength of weight, volume, length, area, etc. In the past decade these concepts have slowly been extended to law enforcement, health and safety and environmental controls. Legal metrology controls are generally based on the type or pattern approval of the measuring equipment in question against a legal metrology regulation, followed by calibration and verification during commissioning and at predetermined intervals thereafter. This is to ensure that the equipment is capable of delivering results within specified tolerances, and continuously so.

 

Examples: weighing a baby, safe baby food, safe x-rays and medicines, safe food, correct volume of fuel, accurate technical evidence, safe travelling, safe manufacturing, safe healthcare, accurate monitoring of climate change, support globalization