Khaberni - The Standards and Metrology Organization confirmed that it is implementing a comprehensive monitoring plan for the winter season, aimed at enhancing safety levels and product quality in the markets.
The "Standards and Metrology" said that the plan includes intensifying field rounds in markets and fuel distribution stations and tanks, in addition to increasing the number of inspection teams during and outside official working hours, to ensure continuous and effective monitoring.
The organization explained that the focus is on all types of heaters and stoves (gas) and their accessories such as gas meters and gas hoses, in addition to various electrical devices. The monitoring also includes domestic gas cylinders and petroleum derivatives sold through stations and tanks.
The organization indicated that it continues to inspect other products according to the approved annual plans.
It also explained the mechanism for monitoring products that experience increased demand during the winter season, to ensure their compliance with the highest standards of quality and specifications.
It confirmed that integrated inspection plans are put in place for the most demanded and widespread products during the winter season, based on the accumulated experience from previous inspection tours and complaints received.
It added that it monitors market movement and reviews the customs entry data of products, then directs inspection teams to conduct field rounds and draw random samples to verify these products' compliance with specifications.
Regarding the warehouses of importers and retail stores, the organization said that it continues to monitor these places to ensure compliance of the products offered for sale or prepared for display.
Control over fuel distribution stations and tanks has been enhanced, where inspection rounds are intensified to continually verify the quality of petroleum derivatives by sampling and testing, in addition to ensuring that petroleum derivatives are not mixed and that wells and tanks contain no water, especially during rainfall.
“Standards and Metrology” confirmed that a full technical inspection is conducted on heaters operating on gas, kerosene, and electricity before allowing them to be marketed, whether through inspections at import or through testing in local markets.
Samples are also drawn from local factories and sent for inspection, which includes operating efficiency, safety measures and leakage prevention, quality of materials used, in addition to the safety of electrical circuits, along with verifying the presence of mandatory operating instructions and warning labels.
In cases where heating devices or heaters not conforming to standards are found, the organization stated that it takes several actions including detaining the products, tracing their source in the markets, contacting the product's responsible party to work on withdrawing it from the markets, in addition to taking legal actions according to the degree of violation severity as per the market scan instructions, according to standards and metrology.
It noted that it ensures the safety of electrical connections and other electrical systems in the markets through periodic inspections that include electrical connections, circuit breakers, wall outlets, power transformers, and other accessories. The inspections also ensure current endurance, wire resistance, and the quality of insulation.
Regarding the challenges faced by inspection teams, “Standards and Metrology” explained that the teams face several challenges in the winter season when inspecting devices and products, notably the difficulty of covering all small points of sale, inability to track all products due to the lack of official invoices at purchase, and the presence of electronic sales of products of unknown origin.
The organization pointed out that the inspection teams have conducted dozens of rounds since the start of the winter season, during which a number of heaters, stoves, electrical devices, and their accessories were inspected, resulting in the detection of several violations, most notably selling devices without an information card as determined by the standard specifications for these products, in addition to discovering samples of heating devices that do not meet safety requirements.
The Standards and Metrology Organization emphasized that it intensifies its monitoring to ensure the highest levels of safety and consumer protection.
