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Calibration and testing (1046) Service
Businesses using weighing or measuring equipment for trade must ensure that it has been tested for accuracy and passed fit for such use by a weights and measures inspector or an authorised body.
Consumer advice (787) Service
Providing consumers with information and advice on minimum standards of buying and selling of goods and services.
Fair trading (789) Service
The aim of fair trading is to ensure truthfulness of trade and prevent consumers being misled during contractual negotiations for goods and services. This legislation covers a wide area of consumer protection law including the selling of counterfeit goods.
Food labelling (791) Service
A local authority trading standards department will provide information on general labelling of pre-packed food. They will ensure that any legislation on food labelling is complied with by manufacturers and suppliers.
Illegal street trading (399) Service
Monitoring and regulation of street traders to ensure that trading is only taking place under licence from the local authority. Dealing with reported instances of unlicensed street trading.
Product safety (402) Service
The trading standards service has an important role in supporting and advising businesses, as well as cracking down on unsafe products and unscrupulous traders. The local trading standards team ensure that traders (and the products they sell) comply with the requirements of all relevant legislation.
Public weighbridges (1742) Service
Public weighbridges are available for use by businesses or the general public for the weighing of vehicles and objects where determination of a specific weight/load is important, including ensuring that vehicles are not overloaded. Public weighbridges may be provided by the council or they may provide information on privately operated weighbridges in the area.
Retail trading standards (403) Service
This service aims to ensure that any retailer operating in the area is confident that they can do so in the knowledge that they are operating in a fair, safe and equitable trading environment.
Trader approval schemes (1127) Service
Trader approval schemes aim to improve business standards and increase customer confidence in member businesses in the local area. Approved businesses have agreed to abide by the terms and conditions of the scheme and have been checked by Trading Standards to ensure compliance. Schemes operated in the UK include 'Buy with confidence'.
Trading standards advice to businesses (401) Service
Trading standards provides advice and information to local traders to help ensure they comply with trading standards legislation. Routine visits are usually carried out to most local traders.
Trading standards education (1110) Service
Trading standards and food safety officers may offer talks to schools, groups and businesses promoting consumer rights and food safety awareness.
Under age sales (1125) Service
Trading Standards deal with under-age sales of some products (such as tobacco, fireworks and videos) and work with the Police to deal with under-age alcohol sales.
Weights and measures (404) Service
Trading Standards are required to ensure that all goods sold are correctly weighed and measured in accordance with current legislation. This is done by checking the accuracy of weighing/measuring equipment regularly, checking goods in stock are of the correct weight, investigating complaints of short measure.