Marketplace fairness and equity celebrated for National Weights & Measures Week
Above, Ronald P. Mannella, director of Genesee and Orleans County Weights & Measures.
Submitted photo, images and press release:
The Genesee – Orleans County Department of Weights & Measures (GO Health W&M) is responsible for testing all commercial devices used to weigh and measures various commodities. We celebrate this marketplace protection annually on March 1st, the start of National Weights & Measure Week.
These inspections are done annually at more than 220 businesses which include grocery stores, delis, bakeries, produce stands, laundromats, farms, manufacturing plants, distribution centers, stone quarries, gas stations and noncommercial locations as requested.
The department is also responsible for testing the quality of fuel sold within the counties, a task that is 100-percent reimbursed by New York State (132 fuel samples were taken in 2020).
Prior to 2020, Genesee and Orleans counties operated separate W&M departments. This changed last January when Ronald P. Mannella was appointed Director for both – a move with estimated annual savings of more than $54,000.
2020 resulted in 1,138 total devices tested between the two counties, including a 4.11-percent increase in Genesee County devices compared to 2019.
“In our first year functioning as a shared department, we were able to serve both communities better than ever before,” Mannella said. “We pumped over 13 thousand gallons of fuel and used over 5 million pounds for testing.”
Tested and approved
These seals (see below) indicate a device was tested and approved for use by a Weights & Measures inspector. New for 2021, our seals will incorporate two public health messages acting as reminders for residents and visitors to the area.
“Our new seals for this year will address drunk driving and hand washing in an attempt to better the health outcomes of our residents,” Mannella said. “I believe we are the first in the state, potentially the nation, to use health and safety messaging on inspection seals -- which have gone relatively unchanged for decades. It’s a great opportunity and use of the space allotted to us.”
Protection at the pump
With support from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Genesee-Orleans and the surrounding counties are cracking down on credit card skimmers and those responsible. W&M inspectors perform random sweeps of fuel stations looking for these fraudulent devices. Arrests have been made and we want it known that New York will not tolerate these criminal acts.
If you have suspicious credit card activity, call your bank immediately.
For more information about Weights & Measures visit their website or call Genesee County at (585) 344-2580, ext. 5555.
