{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/weighing-equipment-filling-and-discontinuous-totalisting-automatic-weighing-machines-regulations-1986/note",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/weighing-equipment-filling-and-discontinuous-totalisting-automatic-weighing-machines-regulations-1986/note.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1986/1320",
  "legislation_title": "The Weighing Equipment (Filling and Discontinuous Totalisting Automatic Weighing Machines) Regulations 1986",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/weighing-equipment-filling-and-discontinuous-totalisting-automatic-weighing-machines-regulations-1986",
  "path": "note",
  "kind": "note",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Explanatory note",
  "text": "The Regulations prescribe filling and discontinuous totalising automatic weighing machines for the purposes of section 11(1) of the Weights and Measures Act 1985, and exclude them from the application of the Weights and Measures Regulations 1963 (where they were formerly prescribed within the class of automatic weighing machines) except in so far as such machines are capable of also being used as a counter machine, platform weighing machine or a weighbridge.\nThe Regulations make provision as to:\n(a)the purposes for which such automatic weighing machines may be used for trade (Regulation 4);\n(b)the materials and principles of construction of them and their marking (Regulations 5 to 18, 24 and 25);\n(c)the manner of erection and use of them for trade (Regulations 19 to 21 and 26 to 30);\n(d)their testing, passing as fit for use for trade and stamping and the obliteration of such stamps (Regulations 22, 23, 31, 32, and 34 to 40 and Schedules 1 and 2);\n(e)the prescribed limits of error (Regulation 33 and Schedule 3).\nThe Regulations make the following changes of substance:—\n(a)a requirement has been included to ensure that automatic weighing machines shall not be used for trade below specified minimum loads or above their maximum capacity (Regulation 4);\n(b)a requirement has been included to limit the range of adjustment of any zero-setting devices of automatic weighing machines designed to compensate for the wear and tear of ordinary use in trade (Regulation 8);\n(c)a requirement has been included to provide facilities for easy and practicable weighings, for test purposes, on automatic weighing machines where visual indication of individual weighings is incorporated (Regulation 9);\n(d )there are new requirements for the principles of construction and marking for filling machines (Regulations 14 to 17);\n(e)there are new requirement for the manner of erection and use for trade of filling machines (Regulations 19 to 21);\n(f )a requirement has been included to ensure that filling machines intended to be permanently installed and discontinuous totalisers shall be completely erected on site before being tested, passed as fit for use for trade and stamped (Regulations 22(2) and 31(1));\n(g )a requirement has been included to ensure that the inspector testing any automatic weighing machines must, if he so requests, be provided with the appropriate test material (Regulations 22(3) and 31(3));\n(h )a requirement has been included to ensure that all installations of discontinuous totalisers have provisions for the depositing and collection of test material in a reliable and easy manner (Regulation 26(1));\n(i)a requirement has been included to ensure that a non-automatic weighing machine is available for use, where necessary, in the vicinity of any discontinuous totaliser used for trade (Regulation 26(2));\n(j)a requirement has been included to ensure that access is provided for cleaning of discontinuous totalisers (Regulation 28(2));\n(k)the grounds on which an inspector may obliterate the stamp on automatic weighing machines have been widened (Regulations 38 and 39);\n(l )the test requirements for all automatic weighing machines are set out in more detail (Schedules 1 and 2);\n(m )the prescribed limits of error for filling machines used only for weighing solid fuel have been reduced (Schedule 3 Table 1);\n(n)a requirement for the inspector to determine the repeatability error has been introduced for the material testings on discontinuous totalisers (Schedule 2 paragraphs 6(6) and 9(8) and Schedule 3 Table 2).",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1320/note",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T16:43:56.178129+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}