About NSAI Legal Metrology Service


NSAI Legal Metrology Service (LMS) is the statutory body responsible for regulating and supervising weights and measures in the Republic of Ireland.
 

Our responsibilities


LMS is responsible for: 
  • Maintaining a uniform system of units of measurement
  • Ensuring the accuracy of measuring instruments used in trade
  • Maintaining confidence in the measurement of quantities of goods on sale to consumers.
  • Representing Irish business and consumers on matters of legal metrology at national and international level.

Our structure

LMS is headed by the Director of Legal Metrology. In addition to its national head office  in Santry, Dublin 9, LMS has seven Regional Centres in the following locations:
 
  • Dublin
  • Cork
  • Galway
  • Limerick
  • Waterford
  • Sligo
  • Dundalk.

Each Regional Centre is staffed by inspectors, who work under the supervision of two chief inspectors.  View and search contact details for each Regional Centre.
 

 

Our activities

 

Our measuring instruments work

LMS is involved in a range of activities which ensure that measuring instruments work correctly as explained below:
  • Type approval:  This is the general process undertaken to confirm that the design of a measuring instrument complies with legal requirements.
  • Verification: Each measuring instrument is tested and verified to ensure it is working correctly before it can be used for trade.  It, thereafter, it is repaired or adjusted, it must be verified again before it can be used.
  • Inspection: This is the periodic examination of a measuring instrument used for trade purposes. By law, a trade measuring instrument must be tested at regular intervals over its lifetime by a metrology inspector to ensure continued compliance with legal requirements.
  • Calibration:  This is the process of determining the metrological characteristics by means of comparision against standards.  LMS offers calibration services for mass standards (weights) from 1mg to 1000kg (OIML Class M1 - M3) and for capacity measures up to 2,000 litres.


Control of quantity of goods

LMS also oversees the control of quantities of goods whether pre-packaged in bottles, cartons, containers or other wrappings, or sold loose.


 

Our international role

NSAI Legal Metrology Service represents Ireland on several international bodies on legal metrology matters. These include:
 
  • The European Commission and Council group meetings
  • The International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML)
  • WELMEC , the European forum for discussion of legal metrology policy.


 

Find out more


 


 

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