About Standards

A standard is a document that stipulates the minimum requirements for the safety and/or performance or utility of products, processes and services. It may also outline industry guidelines and good practices. Many standards define requirements intended to reduce the risk of personal injury due to electrical shock or fire. Some standards set levels of performance for products and, increasingly, standards address social concerns, such as how our environment is managed or how an individual's personal information is being used.

To date, CSA has published more than 3,000 standards, codes and related products. The standards developed by CSA committees are voluntary, not mandatory and CSA standards may be used in a variety of ways. Many CSA standards are referenced in legislation by governments or other regulatory bodies in jurisdictions throughout North America. Only when a standard has been referenced by federal, local, state, provincial or municipal government, or by a regulatory authority, is compliance with the standard mandatory.

CSA facilitates committees of volunteer experts to develop standards using a "balanced matrix" approach, which means that each committee is structured to capitalize on the combined strengths and expertise of its members - with no single group dominating. The committee considers the views of all participants and develops the content of the standard by a consensus process that includes the principles of inclusive participation, and respect for diverse interest and transparency

Standards Committee volunteers are selected to represent various interest groups most likely to be affected by a standard, such as business and industry, regulatory bodies, science and academia, labour, and consumer groups as applicable. Once a draft standard has been developed, it is submitted for a minimum 60-day public review period and amended if necessary. Canadian Standards Association functions as a neutral third party, providing a structure and a forum for developing the standard but it is the committee members who write and update the standards.

CSA standards are living documents, continually revised and refreshed to address changing requirements and emerging technologies. Each standard is reviewed at least every five years as part of CSA's process of continual improvement.

In addition to developing new standards and codes, CSA also reviews and considers adopted and adapted standards from other organizations and countries. An adopted standard is a standard that has been developed by another organization and adopted by CSA for use in Canada with little or no technical changes. If the standard is adopted with significant Canadian technical content deviation, we refer to it as an adapted standard.

By adopting standards from internationally recognized organizations, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), CSA is contributing to the worldwide harmonization of standards. CSA believes that by reducing the number of standards that apply worldwide, it can help manufacturers to access new markets, while continuing to address safety and performance.