Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
The Builders Merchants Federation is warning builders merchants that Trading Standards is looking again at the issue of pre-filled bulk bags of aggregates.
Under guidance worked out by the BMF in conjunction with Trading Standards, bulk bags of aggregates should be filled to 900kg and must be marked with a minimum weight of 850kg. This followed several successful prosecutions of merchants under the Weights & Measures Act 1985 (aggregates over 1 tonne must be sold by specific measure not as multiple bags).
In practice, the new trading standards, which the BMF developed for the benefit of the whole industry, not just members, means bags usually contain more than the 850kg, but less than 1 tonne.
However, there has been some anecdotal evidence of bulk bags at some merchants weighing in at less than the stated weight, rendering the merchants liable to prosecution.
“We want to warm members and other merchants that they must take care to adhere to the standards,” BMF md Chris Pateman told buildersmerchantsjournal.net.
“We know that Trading Standards have this issue in their sight once again and that they will prosecute if they find any merchants selling under-weight bags.”
