A recent posting by NIST (the National Institute of Standards and Technology) has prompted this question: Are American labelling requirements now illegal under WTO rules?
Archive for the ‘Law’ Category
Will the European Commission challenge US labelling rules?
Saturday, January 16th, 2010NHS risking patients’ lives with imperial scales
Thursday, December 17th, 2009Six months after an official report warned of systemic negligence in medical weighing practice within the NHS, the Department of Health has failed to issue the necessary safety alert to hospital trusts to ensure that the report’s recommendations are implemented.
BIS sticks with pints of beer (but only on draught)
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009As expected the Business Department has refused to permit sales of draught beer and cider in convenient metric measures – but its reasoning is bizarre.
Signs review disregards Welsh road users
Sunday, November 1st, 2009The Department for Transport (DfT) is failing to address the needs of Welsh road users, and international traffic, when considering road sign designs in its Traffic Signs Policy Review.
End of imperial-only restriction signs
Saturday, October 10th, 2009The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced its intention to finally end the use of imperial-only width and height restriction signs on Britain’s roads.
Chaos comes to National Cycle Network signs
Friday, October 9th, 2009In an apparent admission that cycle route signs showing distances in miles are not meaningful to cyclists, the Department for Transport is proposing to allow authorities the option of using signs that show journey times in hrs and mins instead of distances in miles and fractions of miles.
Dual unit weighing scales can be harmful to health – official
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008In a damning report on the state of medical weighing equipment and procedures in hospitals across the country, LACORS, the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services, has highlighted the dangers of using weighing equipment that can display units other than the standard metric units which are used for calculating medication and radiotherapy dosages, diagnosing illnesses and monitoring treatment.
Twother or twaddle?
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008One area where metric units have been banned in the UK is draught beer and cider. This is despite the fact that bottled or canned beer and cider is mainly available in round metric quantities. Compared with most countries the restriction of draught beer measures to pints, half pints and third of a pint is very narrow. Recently it was reported that the National Weights and Measures Laboratory has included a proposal for a two thirds of a pint beer measure – the twother – to be introduced. (more…)
Imaginative media spin on a non-event?
Sunday, October 19th, 2008Supporters of consumer protection have been alarmed at reports suggesting that the Government is to tell local councils not to enforce aspects of weights and measures law. Can this really be true?
Police and Network Rail call for metric signs
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008An incident on 17 June, in which a foreign lorry struck a low bridge near Cannock, the third such incident since April, has prompted the police and Network Rail to call for metric signs to be shown on all bridges in the area.