Rules for the Implementation of the Metrology Law of the People's Republic of China (2022 Revision)

Rules for the Implementation of the Metrology Law of the People's Republic of China (2022 Revision)

(Approved by the State Council on January 19, 1987 and promulgated by the State Measurement Bureau on February 1, 1987; revised for the first time in accordance with the Decision of the State Council on Amending Certain Administrative Regulations on February 6, 2016; revised for the second time in accordance with the Decision of the State Council to Amend and Repeal Certain Administrative Regulations on March 1, 2017; revised for the third time in accordance with the Decision of the State Council to Amend and Repeal Certain Administrative Regulations on March 19, 2018; and revised for the fourth time in accordance with the Decision of the State Council to Amend and Repeal Certain Administrative Regulations on March 29, 2022)

CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1 These Detailed Rules are formulated according to the provisions of the Metrology Law of the People's Republic of China.

Article 2 The state shall implement a system of legal units of measurement. The designation and symbols of legal units of measurement shall be governed by the rules issued by State Council for the uniform implementation of legal units of measurement in China.

Article 3 The state develops measurement facilities in a planned way and fits out metrological verification agencies at various levels with modern technology and equipment so that they may serve to promote China's socialist modernizations, provide measurement guarantee for our industrial and agricultural production, the building up of our national defence, scientific experiments, domestic and foreign trade and the people's health and safety, and protect the interests of the State and the people.

CHAPTER II DATUM INSTRUMENTS OF MEASUREMENT AND STANDARD INSTRUMENTS OF MEASUREMENT

Article 4 The following requirements must be met in using datum instruments of measurement (hereinafter referred to as datum instruments):

(1) They must pass the appraisement of the State;

(2) There must be such environmental conditions as required for their normal operations;

(3) There must be competent personnel in charge of their safekeeping, maintenance and application;

(4) There must be a perfect system of administration.

Those units which meet the above-mentioned requirements can use datum instruments only after they pass the examination and approval by the Measurement Administration under the State Council and receive the relevant certificate from it.

Article 5 No unit or individual shall dismantle or refit datum instruments or suspend the work concerning metrological verification without the approval of the Measurement Administration under the State Council.

Article 6 The measurement values of the datum instruments should be the same as international measurement values. The Measurement Administration under the State Council has the right to abolish those datum instruments which are backward in technology or those instruments whose performance cannot meet the present requirements.

Article 7 The following requirements must be met in using standard instruments of measurement (hereinafter referred to as standard instruments):

(1) They must pass metrological verification;

(2) There must be such environmental conditions as required for their normal operations;

(3) There must be competent personnel in charge of their safekeeping, maintenance and application;

(4) There must be a perfect system of administration.

Article 8 Public standard instruments function as notaries in exercising measurement supervision in the society. In designating the public standard instruments of the highest class in the local areas, the administrative departments for measurement in the people's governments at or above the county level must apply to the measurement departments immediately above its own level for examination. The examination of public standard instruments of other classes may be conducted under the direction of the administrative departments for measurement of the local people's governments.

Those public standard instruments, which have proved up to the requirements laid down in Article 7 of these Detailed Rules and obtained certificates of examination, shall be used only after the relevant certificates are issued after the examination and approval by the administrative departments for measurement of the people's governments at or above the county level.

Article 9 The standard instruments of the highest class in various fields should be designated by the relevant competent departments under the State Council and by those in the people's governments in the provinces, autonomous regions and the municipalities directly under the Central Government. These standard instruments must pass the examination by the administrative department for measurement in the people's governments at the same level and those instruments which meet the requirements provided for in Article 7 of these Detailed Rules and obtain certificates of examination may be used only after the approval by the relevant competent departments.

Article 10 In designating various standard instruments of the highest class for their own units, enterprises and institutions must apply for examination to the administrative departments for measurement which are at the same levels as their competent departments in the people's governments. Township enterprises should apply for examination to the administrative departments for measurement in the local people's governments at the county level. Those instruments which meet the requirements provided for in Article 7 of these Detailed Rules and obtain certificates of examination may be used by the relevant enterprises and institutions, which should report to their competent authorities for the record.

CHAPTER III MEASUREMENT EXAMINATION AND DETERMINATION

Article 11 The units and individuals using standard instruments which have gone through compulsory metrological verification should apply for periodic metrological verification to the relevant administrative department for measurement of the people's government which has been responsible for examining the instruments.

The units and individuals using the working measurement instruments which have gone through compulsory examination and determination should apply for periodic examination and determination to the relevant measurement examination and determination agencies designated by the administrative departments for measurement of the local people's governments at the county (municipality) level. If it cannot be done locally, it is necessary to apply for periodic examination and determination to the measurement examination and determination agencies designated by the next higher administrative departments.

Article 12 Enterprises and institutions should equip themselves with the facilities for checking and testing measurement instruments commensurate with their needs in production, scientific research and management and business operations, formulate specific procedures and regulations concerning examination and determination, work out detailed catalogues of measurement instruments of their units and fix the corresponding periods for examination and determination, and ensure that their measurement instrument which are not subject to compulsory examination and determination are regularly checked and tested.

Article 13 The work of metrological verification shall be conducted on the principle of economy, rationality and geographical proximity, and it should not be restricted by administrative divisions and departmental jurisdiction.

CHAPTER IV MANUFACTURE AND REPAIR OF MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS

Article 14 An enterprise, public institution, or individual industrial and commercial household manufacturing or repairing metrological instruments must operate on fixed premises, have production facilities, inspection conditions, and technicians, among others, as specified by the state, and satisfy safety requirements.

Article 15 The product design of a new measurement instrument, which has never been produced in the country, must be appraised before it can be manufactured. When the product design has been finalized, it is necessary to go through formalities of model approval and obtain the relevant certificate. New products whose designs have been finalized in the country but have never been produced by the producer must be tested and their prototypes be made. A certificate of quality shall be issued after the test of prototype is passed. Those measurement instruments which have not obtained model approval or certificates of quality of their prototypes shall not be allowed to be produced.

Article 16 The product design appraisement of new measurement instruments shall be conducted by the technical agency authorized by the measurement administration under the State Council. Prototypes of the instrument shall be tested by the technical agency authorized by the administrative department for measurement of the local people's government at the provincial level.

The models of new measurement instruments shall be approved by the administrative departments for measurement of the local people's governments at the provincial level. The models approved by such departments can be used as nationally applicable models after they have been finalized by the competent department measurement administration under the State Council.

Article 17 The units applying for model design appraisement fo......