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 This page includes information on:
Speak OutPlease tell us your views on our services. Complete our confidential response form.
About Us/What We DoTrading standards is a service run by Sheffield City Council. With less than 20 staff we are responsible for the enforcement of laws controlling the accuracy, description, price, quality, quantity, and safety of goods and services covering such matters as:
We are here to protect...
And to help...
How We WorkThe Unit consists of three operational sections:-
We carry out our duties by:
When the law is broken we may investigate and, in some
cases, prosecute.
Performance 06/07
Our recent performance is described below in the form of either a MS Word document or a Pdf file. Follow the relevant link.
Recent Performance 2006/07 (word doc 51 KB)
Our Service plan for 2007 - 2008Our Service Plan for the year 2007 - 2008 is published below.The document can be viewed either as a Microsoft Word Document (.doc) or an Adobe Acrobat (pdf) file. To view the Service Plan, follow the relevant link below, it will open in a new page. To return to this page, simply close the document.
Service Plan 2007/08 (word doc 237 KB)
Responsible Retailer/NewsResponsible Retailer AwardIn partnership with Sheffield Health Action Zone, Sheffield Trading Standards is running Sheffield's response to the issue of underage sales - The Responsible Retailer Award Scheme.The scheme, launched by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield in 2001, aims to reduce problems such as underage smoking, drinking and solvent abuse by denying young people access to these dangerous products. The award scheme is aimed at retailers and businesses and provides education and staff training to make retailers aware of their responsibilities in avoiding illegal sales and support them in upholding the law. Retailers who prove themselves diligent in demanding proof of age from their young shoppers, train their staff in the relevant legislation, meet various basic criteria and are approved by the police, receive certificates of responsibility and merit at specially organised award ceremonies. Retailers can benefit from a Responsible Retailer Award in many ways. Firstly it provides basic staff training which itself helps to ensure against accidental underage sales and can help to prove due diligence in court. Secondly the scheme recognises positive behaviour. Retailers who are doing a good job in difficult circumstances deserve to be rewarded. Thirdly, the scheme aims to discourage children from even attempting to purchase age restricted products illegally. In areas where the scheme has been running for several years, a survey of retailers who succeeded in gaining an award showed that the number of requests from children under the legal age of sales had declined. For conditions of membership of the scheme, see the attached pdf document (this will open in a separate page)Conditions of Membership (pdf file 85 KB) Proof of Age CardsDo you look young for your age? Does it annoy you when you get asked for proof of age even when you are old enough to buy a product? Make your life easier by getting a proof of age card. They are very easy to apply for. You can pick up application forms in your local off licence, pub or supermarket, and most just require some identification and a couple of passport size photos. You may even already have some identification that you can use. If something has your photograph and date of birth on it, it is proof of age. Something like a National Insurance Card or Birth Certificate cannot be used because they have no photograph, there is not proof that they belong to you.Identification you can use:
Information Sheets (for Retail Training)The following information sheets are available for you, as responsible retailers, to print and use in conjunction with staff training for all aspects of under-age sales legislation.You can distribute the sheets to your staff and keep a record of training given regarding under-age sales. Used in conjunction with the refusal sheets (also included below) will help to buld up 'due dilligence' profiles. Please note that in order for you to print reasonable quality copies, some of these documents are quite large and if you are using a 'dial-up' connection they may take a while to down-load. All are pdf documents, and will open in a new window. Responsible Retail NewsletterThe Responsible Retailer Newsletters will again be available from this site rather Sheffield City Council site. The most recent issue is available below as a pdf document, it will open in a new window: Responsible Retail News Issue 17 (pdf 145 KB)Further InformationIf you would like more information about any aspects of the scheme or if you know of any businesses that might be selling illegally to underage children, you can contact Sheffield Trading Standards, anonymously if you prefer: Tel: 0114 273 6241 or 0114 273 6286Fax: 0114 273 6281 Or e-mail: Trading.standards@sheffield.gov.uk 
South Yorkshire News LetterWe publish a news letter bi-annually, which we will endeavour to make available here as they are produced. The last three, Issue 5, Summer 2006, Issue 6, Winter 2006 and Issue 7, Summer 2007 are reproduced here in pdf format. Please be aware that if using a dial-up connection these files may take a few moments to load. the newsletters will open in a separate window, so to return here, simply close the window. Summer 2006 Newsletter (pdf file 710 KB)Winter 2006 Newsletter (pdf file 857 KB) Summer 2007 Newsletter (pdf file 637 KB) Winter 2007 Newsletter (pdf file 515 KB)
What We CostLast year (2005-2006) the City Council spent £763,000 delivering its Trading Standards Service. This is equivalent to £1.48 per head of population.*In the current year (2006-2007) the Service has been allocated a budget of £794,900 made up broadly as follows:-
This is equivalent to a spend of £1.54 per head of population.* *Calculation per head based on a population of 516,100 as published by The Office for National Statistics August 2005.
Satisfied with our Service?To help us improve how we work, we need to know how you feel we are performing.Please let us know if you have been satisfied with the service you have received from our staff, or tell us if you have any criticisms or suggestions for improvements. Your views can be forwarded to us on our e-mail contact form, click here: response form.. Or, you can contact us by any of the means listed below (Contacting Us). Any comments you make will be taken into account to help in improving and developing the service and determining where resources should be concentrated.
Contacting Us By Post: Sheffield Trading Standards, 2-10 Carbrook Hall Road, Sheffield S9 2DB
Internet World Wide Web http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/sheffield/
Chief Trading Standards Officer: Paul Jackson You can contact us by telephone on the following numbers:
Consumer Advice: (0114) 273 6289 and by
Market SurveillanceWe conduct various surveys of our service users from time to time.Below are the results of surveys conducted during 2006. They are available in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) file or a Word document format. Follow the appopriate link to open the document. It will open in a new window, to return to this section, simply close the document.
Complaints and Enquiries
Weights and MeasuresImportant information about South Yorkshire Trading Standards UnitIf you are looking for information regarding calibration of weights, measures of length, capacity measures etc, please note that with effect from 31st July 2006 South Yorkshire Trading Standards Unit will cease operations. Within the Yorkshire region, Sheffield Trading Standards are able to deal with a certain amount of 'Low Accuracy' Weight Calibration and the calibration of Tankards and 1 metre length measures. For details, Contact Sheffield Trading Standards (Metrology) on 0114 273 6291. See also East Riding Test Laboratory And West Yorkshire Calibration Laboratory If your business is situated outside of the Yorkshire region, please contact your local Trading Standards/Weights & Measures service in the first instance, they should be able to advise you according to your requirements.
Aim: "To ensure that all weighing and measuring equipment in use
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