Reliable measurements remain crucial for businesses, particularly those involved in manufacturing, trade and commerce. For companies operating in our local petroleum sector, from the import stage to the delivery of products to consumers, measurement accuracy is essential to achieving profits and buyer confidence.
The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), empowered under the Weights and Measures Act of 1981, verifies instruments and carriers used in the petroleum sector to sell and distribute products. These include bulk meters, fuel pumps, compartments of tanker wagons and storage tanks (including those on fuel vessels).
Last year, a total of 1,631 verifications were completed by the Bureau for suppliers in the petroleum sector. These included the verification of more than 1200 petrol pumps at gas stations across the country, both publicly and privately owned.
Apart from ensuring accuracy through verification, safety is also essential. To ensure the safety of those working in the sector, the Bureau conducts safety checks on tanker wagons and at fuel stations to confirm measurement and safety requirements are maintained to safeguard drivers and other members of the public.
Verification provides confidence that instruments function within the acceptable measurement tolerances (plus or minus the exact volume) when dispensing products. The verification process is conducted using test measures and flow meters calibrated and traceable to international standards.
The test measures used by the GNBS range in capacity from 5 litres to 2000 litres. They are used by GNBS to determine whether fuel dispensers including petrol pumps and bulk meters are under-delivering, over-delivering or are within acceptable tolerances. The necessary adjustments are made on those found to be inaccurate, and security seals are affixed to the adjustment mechanisms to prevent tampering, thereby maintaining the integrity of the verification process.
Further, as it relates to bulk meters and petrol pumps which are not functioning correctly and cannot be verified immediately, the dispensing nuzzles are sealed off by the GNBS to prevent further usage until they are rectified and verified. Additionally, tanker wagons which fail inspection requirements must be rectified before inspection or verification is redone.
Meanwhile, as in any other sector, there are financial implications for businesses using inaccurate measuring instruments for trade in the petroleum sector. For example, when fuel pumps and bulk meters over-deliver to the benefit of customers, businesses sell at a financial loss, which can ultimately affect their viability.
Therefore, to prevent over-delivery or under-delivery of fuel during sales, GNBS will continue to ensure measurement accuracy through routine verification, which maintains the confidence of all stakeholders within the petroleum sector. In this regard, owners of gas stations, tanker wagons and bulk meters are encouraged to get their measuring instruments verified by the GNBS to promote accuracy and reliability. For further information on this subject, call the GNBS on Telephone number: 219-0065 or 219-0069 or visit the Bureau’s website: www.gnbsgy.org
