NIST Establishes Toll-Free Line for Reporting Measurement Discrepancies
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched a toll-free hotline to help identify and resolve measurement-related trade barriers between the United States and the European Union. The new phone number, (888) 59-1TEST (591-8378), allows businesses and organizations to report concerns about measurement policies that may hinder trade between the two regions.
NIST is particularly interested in receiving reports related to five key areas: avionics, environmental protection, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, electro-magnetic compatibility and interference, and occupational health and safety. The information collected will help NIST and the EU determine if acceptance decisions were based on significant differences in measurement capabilities between U.S. and EU laboratories.
The results of these comparisons will be incorporated into an international comparison database, a NIST-led project expected to take three years to complete. This database will provide an online expert system for answering inquiries on traceability to standards laboratories, international equivalency of measurements, and other compatibility issues.
Keywords: NIST, measurements, databases
