VERIFICATION OF A MEASURING INSTRUMENT

Legal control of measuring instruments (verification of measuring instruments) is used for:

• Healthcare and safety;
• Environment;
• Traffic safety control;
• Trade of goods and services;
• Test of prepackages and measuring bottles.

Verification of a measuring instrument is performed by authorized bodies, or Directorate of measures and precious metals, after procedure, which includes the examination and marking and/or issuing of a verification certificate, that ascertains and confirms that the measuring instrument complies with the statutory requirements.
Verification of a measuring instrument can be initial, regular or extraordinary one.
New measuring instruments shall be subjected to initial verification, and it includes the measuring instruments that have not been verified before. A measuring instrument shall be submitted to be initially verified by the national manufacturer, authorised importer or authorised distributor, legal entity or natural person.
In-service measuring instruments shall be subjected to regular verification. Regular verification of measuring instruments shall be performed periodically within defined time intervals for certain types of measuring instruments. A measuring instrument shall be submitted to regular verification by its owner or those using the measuring instrument. For regular verification of electric energy meters, measuring transformers, time switches, watermeters, gasmeters and liquid and gas volume correctors, and heat meters, are responsible subjects that sell water, or subjects responsible for measurement of electrical and heat energy and natural gas, according to regulations which govern energy sector.
Measuring instruments shall be subjected to extraordinary verification in case of malfunction or other technical deficiencies causing them to be put out of use or those that were repaired, refitted or those that were not shall be subjected to regular verification within the defined deadline. A person that performed a repair or refitting of a measuring instrument is obliged to have the measuring instrument subjected to extraordinary verification.
In case of doubt in the correctness of measuring instrument, interested person may request from authorized bodies or the Direction, the extraordinary verification of measuring instrument and issuing of examination report. In case that verified measuring instrument with valid verification mark meets prescribed metrological requirements, fees for extraordinary verification of measuring instrument bears the applicant. If measuring instrument does not meet prescribed metrological requirements, fees for extraordinary verification of measuring instrument bears the person responsible for regular verification of measuring instrument.
Measuring instruments shall be placed on the market or put in use only if they fulfil the requirements laid down in the Law on Metrology. Types of measuring instruments shall be subjected to mandatory verification, and time intervals of their periodical verification shall be stipulated by a specific law.
Submission of an application for the verification implies contacting the organisational unit in charge of control and supervision with a request that a measuring instrument should be verified, whereas the application shall be accompanied by an adequate annex. Each organisational unit in charge of control and supervision covers a catchment area in which it verifies measuring instruments.