Legal metrology

Legal metrology — the regulation of measurement in trade, safety, and compliance — underpins trust in markets and everyday transactions. From weighing goods in grocery stores to calibrating medical devices, fuel pumps, and utility meters, accurate measurement ensures fairness, safety, and accountability. Failures in measurement systems can erode consumer confidence, distort markets, and introduce risks to health and safety.

The sector is complex because measurement intersects with technology, economics, and governance. Regulators must ensure that instruments meet national and international standards, industries must maintain compliance and transparency, and consumers expect accuracy and fairness. Advances in digital technology and connected devices add new challenges, such as cybersecurity risks and data integrity. International trade also relies heavily on harmonized measurement standards, making global cooperation essential.

Risk sciences help illuminate vulnerabilities in metrological systems, from identifying error probabilities to assessing systemic consequences of failures. By applying structured risk analysis, decision-makers can prioritize oversight, evaluate the benefits of new technologies, and design policies that sustain fairness and safety in markets.

RSI is committed to supporting legal metrology systems, with the expertise and experience to strengthen accuracy, reliability, and trust across this essential sector.