CSA is the abbreviation of Canadian Standards Association (Canadian Standards Association). It was established in 1919 and is Canada's first non-profit organization dedicated to the development of industrial standards. Products such as electronics and electrical appliances sold in the North American market need to obtain safety certifications. At present, CSA is the largest safety certification agency in Canada and one of the most famous safety certification agencies in the world. It can provide safety certification for all types of products in machinery, building materials, electrical appliances, computer equipment, office equipment, environmental protection, medical fire safety, sports and entertainment. CSA has provided certification services for thousands of manufacturers all over the world, and hundreds of millions of products with the CSA mark are sold in the North American market every year.

How to apply

  Obtaining North American certification saves time and money. You only need to complete one application, provide a set of samples, and pay once. With CSA, you can enter the markets of both countries in one step. CSA's convenient testing and certification service eliminates the repeated testing and evaluation required to obtain different certifications between the two countries. This undoubtedly reduces the manufacturer's cost in product certification, follow-up inspection and re-testing, and also saves valuable time, and saves the manufacturer the trouble of dealing with various certification agencies, thereby achieving a multiplier effect. [2] 

  CSA Marking is registered by the Canadian Standards Association of Canada. After the safety and authorization of the product is approved by the unit, the CSA Marking logo can be attached to the product.

  CSA is a non-profit membership sponsorship organization. Its standard areas include: healthcare technology, oil and gas piping systems, occupational safety, electrical products and solar energy. In addition to the head office in Canada, CSA also has branches in the Atlantic, Quebec, Central Plains, Western, and Pacific regions. It also has subsidiaries and overseas representatives all over the world.

  CSA's standards are voluntary. Municipal, provincial and federal governments often use or refer to CSA standards in their management to replace them to develop their own standards. In this case, the CSA standard has become the reference basis for government specifications. Governments or other organizations and associations may require compliance with certain standards or indicate that certain products must be verified to prove compliance with certain standards. This is based on whether each organization wishes to require the use of CSA standards and verification operations within its jurisdiction.

  CSA Marking is currently one of the most well-known product safety certification marks in the world. Even if it is not mandatory, manufacturers in many regions use this mark as an important basis for recommending the safety of their products to customers. Many buyers even specify requirements Purchase products with CSA logo attached. Manufacturers are designated by Canadian importers or buyers to obtain the CSA mark.

Organizational structure

  CSA’s members are composed of more than 7,000 volunteers and more than 2,200 sponsored members from all walks of life in Canada. These members form more than 1,000 standards committees. Based on the principle of brainstorming and integrating reasonable opinions from everyone, they follow certain procedures. Draft a wide range of standards, requirements and guidelines for various materials, products, equipment, and service facilities. CSA standards are adopted voluntarily, but federal, provincial, and local governments often use and refer to CSA standards when formulating regulations. Such standards have become the basis for government legislation, that is to say, they are mandatory. CSA has six laboratories in Canada, headquartered in Toronto. There are two laboratories in mainland China, respectively established in Shanghai and Guangzhou. Three offices are set up in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong in the Far East. At the same time, it has also established agents with JMI in Japan, KEMA in the Netherlands, and BSI in the United Kingdom. Authentication relationship.

process

  1. Complete the preliminary application form, and submit it to CSA International together with the instructions and technical data of all related products (including all electrical components and plastic materials).

  2. CSA International will determine the certification fee according to the specific conditions of the product, and then notify the applicant company by fax.

  3. After confirmation by the applicant company, an official application form and notice will be sent. The notice includes the following requirements:

  (1) After the official application form is signed, the wire transfer certification fee (can be paid in RMB) to the office.

  (2) Send the test sample to the designated place according to the notice.

  4. The designated laboratory will carry out the certification work on time.

  5. After the certification test is completed, a preliminary report (Findings Letter) will be issued to the applicant company, which details the following:

  (1) How to improve the product structure to meet the standards.

  (2) Other materials to be used to complete the certification report.

  (3) Please apply for the company to review the content of the draft certification record (Certification Record)

  (4) Marks required for CSA certification and the method of obtaining them.

  (5) Factory Tests required for the product.

  6. CSA International will evaluate the applicant's answer to the fifth item above.

  7. At the same time, CSA International will compile a certification report for product production reference and follow-up inspection.

  8. At this stage, under certain circumstances, CSA International has to go to the factory for initial factory evaluation (Initial Factory Evaluation), referred to as IFE.

  9. Finally, CSA International will issue a Certificate of Compliance together with the Certification Record to authorize the applicant company to add the CSA certification mark to its products.

  10. The applicant company must sign a Service Agreement with CSA International to indicate that both parties agree to CSA International's follow-up inspection of products at the factory. The applicant company must pay an annual fee (Annual Fee) to maintain the agreement.

Product Range

  CSA certification inspection mainly focuses on eight aspects:

Human survival and environment: including occupational health and safety, public safety, environmental protection of sports and entertainment equipment, and health care technology.

Electrical and Electronics: Including regulations on the installation of electrical equipment for construction, various industrial and civil electrical and electronic products.

Communication and information: including residential processing systems, telecommunications and electromagnetic interference technology and equipment.

Building structure: Including building materials and products, civil engineering products, concrete, masonry structures, pipe fittings and architectural design.

Energy: Including energy regeneration and transfer, fuel combustion and safety equipment, and nuclear energy technology.

Transportation and distribution system: including motor vehicle safety, oil and gas pipelines, material handling and distribution, and offshore facilities.

Material technology: including welding and metallurgy.

Commercial and production management system: including quality management and basic engineering.

Way method

  The CSA certification procedure has great flexibility, and the method steps are different according to different products.

 1. According to specifications and models. If each specification is certified, it is costly and time-consuming. Therefore, for the same purpose and various specifications of products, one or two representative certifications can be selected. Such as a 1-100 kilowatt motor, you can do this.

 2. According to the special requirements of users, a certain product is certified. Such as: industrial switch, according to the user's opinion, the product produced by the manufacturer is different from the original designed product, it can be certified according to the user's requirements.

 3. Certification of large-scale equipment. If large-scale equipment is produced by several companies, it can be assembled together and certified at the assembly site.

 4. Conduct field tests according to people's mental and physical strength. Such as medicine packaging lids that cannot be opened by children.

  The certification method usually adopted by CSA is divided into four steps:

  1. Analysis before certification. After the applicant submits the application, it is necessary to analyze whether the relevant product information provided by the applicant is complete and whether the sample meets the requirements.

  2. Analysis before testing. The certification staff determines the test items and draws up the test procedures.

  3. Test according to procedures and items.

  4. Analysis after laboratory test. The certified engineer will meet with the applicant after analyzing the test results. If the test results meet the requirements, the certification work will come to an end and the applicant can be issued a certification certificate.