Introduction
Legal metrology is the application of legal requirements to measurements
and measuring instruments. The Legal Metrology Services (LMS) was established in 1985 and became fully operational in July 1990 after the proclamation of the Legal Metrology Act 1985 with better provisions for the assizing of instruments, weights, and measures and the protection of the public in relation to the sale of articles by weight or measure.
(i) To protect the public in the purchase of commodities by weight or measure ;
(ii) To ensure fair trade practices through accurate and reliable weights and measures; and
(iii) To offer quality legal metrology service as regards calibration and verification of weighing and measuring instruments, pattern approval of instruments, investigation of complaints made by consumers and advice given to the public.
Responsibilities
The Legal Metrology Services is responsible for:
(i) Calibration and maintenance of measurement standards which are traceable to International Standards;
(ii) Control of weighing and measuring equipment used in trade to ensure that the instruments are used correctly and they meet the requirements of the Legal Metrology Act;and
(iii) Control of prepracked commodities to ensure that they are properly labelled and contain the quantity declared on the packages as per the Legal Metrology Act.
(iv) Calibration of weighing and measuring instruments required under other legislations.
Legislations
Services
Assizing of instruments;
On Request Calibration of instruments;
Supervision of use of weighing and measuring instruments in trade;
Control of Prepacked Commodities;
Granting of Certificate of Suitability;
Investigation of complaint;
Information and advice.
a) Indoor VerificationAssizing/Reassizing, i.e. verification, testing and stamping of weighing and measuring instruments used in trade (both in general trade and trade in valuable goods), i.e for General Retailers, Hardware Shops, vegetable and fruit sellers, fishmongers,poultry sellers, jewellers and others.These instruments include spring balances, platform machines, electronic scales, jeweller scales, weights, length measures, tape measures, capacity measures, liquor measures.All new instruments of importers are assized by LMS before they are offered for sale.(b) In situ verificationVerification of instruments is carried out in situ, that is, at place of use, at the request of clients and for instruments which are (i) of high capacity, (ii) fixed and (iii) not transportable. These instruments include spring balances, electronic scales, platform machines, petrol pumps, weighbridges, vehicle tanks and bulkmeters.(c) Mobile Verification
Verification services nearer to the doorstep of traders are offered through the operation of a mobile verification unit in different districts as follows:
| | Month | District | Venues |
| 1 | February | Pamplemousses | Triolet SWC |
| 2 | March | Grand Port | Mahebourg SWC, Rose Belle SWC |
| 3 | April | Savanne | Surinam SWC |
| 4 | May | Flacq | Lallmatie SWC, Riche Mare Community Centre, Bel Air Riviere Seche SWC |
| 5 | June | Riviere du Rempart | Goodlands SWC, Riviere du Rempart SWC |
| 6 | July | Black River | Bambous SWC, Black River Village Hall |
| 7 | September | Plaine Wilhems | Curepipe Municipal Council, Vacoas Municipal Council, Belle Rose Town Hall |
| 8 | October | Moka | Saint Pierre SWC, Quartier Militaire SWC |
The dates and venues for verification are communicated to traders by press communiqués.
(d) Periodical Assizing of instruments
According to the Legal Metrology (Periodical Assizement) Regulations 1994,
· spring balances have to be verified every year,
· length measures every five years and
· all other instruments every two years.
Note: All instruments submitted for verification shall be clean and complete with no defective part. Information on the documents required to be produced for verification is according to link below:
(2) On Request Calibration of instruments
The Legal Metrology Services offers an on-request calibration service to local industries and other institutions in the fields of mass, volume and length measurements. Calibration is carried at the division for transportable instruments and on site, at the place of use as per request from clients and for high capacity and fixed instruments.
We offer calibration for weighing instruments, weights, length measures, volumetric measures including glass wares and micropipettes, storage tanks, water meters, alcohol meters, diesel meters, concrete batching plants and hopper scales.
Requests for calibration must be made by letter or by fax or by email giving full details of instruments and in case of site calibration, the exact address of place of testing.
(3) Supervision of use of weighing and measuring instruments in tradeRegular inspection visits are effected by authorized officers of the Legal Metrology Services at trade premises including petrol stations and market fairs, without notice to check whether the Legal Metrology Act and regulations are properly complied with and to ensure that traders are using assized and correct weighing and measuring instruments. Contraventions are established in case of non-complainces.
(4) Control of Prepacked Commodities
Inspection is carried at packing premises and at retail outlets, including market fairs to ascertain that prepacked commodities (foodstuffs and non foodstuffs) comply with the Legal Metrology (Prepacked Commodities) Regulations 2006 for labelling and accuracy requirements. Contraventions are established in case of non-compliances.
(5) Granting of Certificate of SuitabilityImporters of weighing instruments used in trade have to apply for a certificate of suitability in respect to the pattern or design of the instrument. For this the importer has to make an application on the form available at the Legal Metrology Services or which can be downloaded from the link below with the prescribed fee and to submit documents that give all information concerning the instrument (make, model, metrological specifications, diagrams and pictures) and a copy of the pattern approval certificate issued by a recognized institution (such as Weights & Measures Laboratory, National Legal Metrology Services, National Metrology Institute) or a copy of an OIML certificate. for the models of weighing instruments applied.
Complaints related to weights and measures for non-compliance to the Legal Metrology Act are investigated by this office. These complaints are usually on unassized/not duly reassized instruments, incorrect instruments or short weight or short measure of products purchased either by measurement or as prepacked commodities and on labellings of prepacked commodities. Complaints are received by phone, reporting to our office at Bell Village, by letter, by email, by fax or through the Citizen Support Portal.
(7) Information and advice
We offer free information and advice in matters regarding weights and measures to consumers, traders, including importers, packers and industries.
(8) Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: From 09 h 00 to 12 h 00 and from 12 h 30 to 15 h 00 (For verification of instruments) and 16h00 (Office).
For mobile verification at venues identified in Communiqué from 09 h 30 to 12 h 00 and from 12 h 30 to 14 h 00.
Infrastructure
Legal Metrology Service has facilities for calibration in the areas of mass, length and volume, including flow measurement.
The building includes a verification room, a workshop, a mass and length laboratory and a volume laboratory.
Laboratory Management System
The Mass Laboratory of the Legal Metrology Services is accredited by MAURITAS (Mauritius Accreditation Service) for recognition of its technical competence to provide confidence to clients of reliable calibration results. It operates in accordance with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and of MAURITAS for the calibration of mass pieces up to accuracy class F2 and Non Automatic Weighing Instruments of accuracy class II, III and IIII.
The scope of Accreditation is enclosed as per Schedule of Accreditation and can be downloaded from link below:
International Cooperation
(i) OIML – International Organisation of Legal Metrology
The Headquarters of OIML is the International Bureau of Legal Metrology (BIML) at Paris, France.Mauritius through the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Protection and the Legal Metrology Services is a corresponding member of OIML.
(ii) SADCMEL- Southern African Development Community Cooperation in Legal Metrology
SADCMEL is one of the structures of SADC SQAM the SADC Cooperation Programme in the field of Standardisation, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology.
Mauritius, through the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Protection and the Legal Metrology Services is a member of SADCMEL. Member Countries of SADCMEL are Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Pictures on activities of LMS
 Verification of an accuracy class II electronic jeweller scale in the mass laboratory using F2 standard weights
|  Verification of electronic scale with M1 working standards
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 Verification of spring balances for importers in verification room
|  Verification of liquor measure in Verification Room
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 Verification of weighbridge using calibrated one tonne standard weights
|  Verification of petrol pumps using calibrated checkpump measure
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 Verification of bulk meter carried at fuel depot
|  Inspection of weighing instrument at Trade Premises |
 Verification of a vehicle tank compartment at fuel depot
|  Verification of instruments at mobile station
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Contact Details
All correspondences are addressed to the Director, Legal Metrology Services.
Address: Old Moka Road, Bell Village Port-Louis, Republic of Mauritius Email: legalmetrology@govmu.org Tel: +(230) 2081671; +(230) 2081682; +(230) 2100737
Director: Mrs. S. Umavassee Tel: +(230) 208-1717 Fax No: +(230) 211-4543 Email: sumavassee@govmu.org Deputy Director
Mr. S.K. Callicharan Tel: +(230) 208-1671 Fax No: +(230) 211-4543 Email:scallicharan@govmu.org Legal Metrologist
(1) Mr. L. Chintaram Tel: +(230) 208-1671 Fax No: +(230) 211-4543 Email:lchintaram@govmu.org (2) Mr. R. Roomallah Tel: +(230) 208-1671 Fax No: +(230) 211-4543 Email:rroomallah@govmu.org (3) Mr. M. Makhan Tel: +(230) 208-1671 Fax No: +(230) 211-4543 Email:mmakhan@govmu.org
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