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CSA International Media FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

Q : WHAT IS CSA INTERNATIONAL?

A : CSA International is a provider of product testing and certification services for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and a variety of other products. Recognized in the U.S., Canada and around the world, CSA's marks appear on billions of products worldwide. CSA International is a division of CSA Group, which also includes: CSA, a developer of standards and codes; OnSpeX for consumer product evaluation services; CSA International is a division of CSA Group, which also includes: CSA, a developer of standards and codes; and OnSpeX for consumer product evaluation services.


Q : WHEN WAS CSA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDED?

A : CSA International was established as a provider of product testing and certification services in 1999.

Prior to CSA International, product testing and certification services were provided by the laboratories of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), which was originally founded in 1919 as the Canadian Engineering Standards Association (CESA).

When a nationwide approach to certification of electrical products was called for in 1940, CESA assumed the responsibility for testing and certifying electrical products intended for sale and installation in Canada. To better reflect the breadth of CESA's activity, it officially became the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) in 1944. Shortly thereafter, in 1946, the CSA Certification Mark was officially registered.

As World War II ended, Canada experienced a housing boom and CSA was called on to develop additional independent third-party testing and certification programs for areas such as gas an plumbing. To meet the increased demand, in 1954, CSA officially opened it's fully equipped laboratories on Rexdale Boulevard in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Today CSA International has laboratories across Canada, the U.S., Asia, and Europe and works closely with approximately 15,000 companies in more than 60 countries


Q : WHAT IS CERTIFICATION?

A : Certification is the procedure by which a facility, product, service or system becomes tested or inspected and certified in conformity with the applicable standard or other recognized document(s). Certification of a product is an ongoing process that involves follow up factory inspections and retail surveillance to ensure conformity.


Q : DOES CSA INTERNATIONAL APPROVE PRODUCTS FOR SALE?

A : CSA International is a not-for-profit, non-government organization that tests and certifies products to an applicable standard or standards but it does not approve products for sale. The appropriate federal, provincial or state regulatory agencies are responsible for regulating the sale of approved products in their respective jurisdictions. These regulatory authorities utilize the certification of a given product as a means to base their decisions for their approval for sale.


Q : IN WHAT AREAS OF CERTIFICATION IS CSA INTERNATIONAL INVOLVED?

A : CSA International certifies products in the following categories:

  • Gas Equipment: Food Processing and Refrigeration, Heating and Air Conditioning, Commercial and Industrial Water Heaters and Boilers, Incineration, Accessories, Laundry Equipment, Portable Camping Equipment, Vehicle Fuel Systems and Industrial Engines, Gas/Propane Installation Codes, Fuel Cells
  • Construction Products and Materials: Building Materials and Masonry, Offshore Structures, Concrete, Welding, Forest Products, Plumbing Products and Materials, Industrialized Building Construction, Structures (Design)
  • Life Sciences: Health Care Technology, Public Safety, Occupational Health and Safety
  • Electrical and Electronics: Canadian Electrical Code - Parts I, II and III, Wiring, Industrial, Consumer and Commercial Products, Electrical Engineering, Electromagnetic Compatibility
  • Communications: Telecommunications/Information Technology, Electromagnetic Compatibility
  • Energy: Performance, Renewable Energy and Efficiency, Energy Conservation in Housing, Fire Safety and Fuel Burning Equipment, Nuclear Facility and Reactor Components, Oil and Gas Industry Systems and Materials


Q : WHAT DOES THE CSA MARK MEAN?

A : The CSA mark indicates that a product, process or service has been tested to a Canadian or U.S. standard and meets the requirements of an applicable CSA standard or another recognized document used as a basis for certification. For consumers, the mark provides increased assurance of quality and safety. For manufacturers, international recognition of the mark helps to ease their entry into foreign markets.

Only when a product has been certified to an applicable standard is it entitled to bear the appropriate CSA International Certification mark. Certification marks appear on product packaging and on, or adhered to, the product itself depending on the individual requirements of each applicable standard


Q : IS THE CSA INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATION MARK RECOGNIZED IN THE U.S.?

A : Yes. CSA International is accredited in the U.S. by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). It is also accredited by ANSI and NES.

OSHA accredited laboratories conduct their tests against the same sets of U.S. standards and codes, regardless of who authors or publishes them. CSA International tests to applicable U.S. standards, including ANSI, UL, CSA, NSF, and many others.

Regulatory authorities in many occupational health and safety, electrical, gas, building, plumbing, and other fields in the U.S. and Canada, accept CSA International certification marks. Products with CSA International certification marks are accepted by many major retailers, manufacturers, distributors, specifiers and regulators throughout the U.S. and in export markets around the world.


Q : WHO ACCREDITS CSA INTERNATIONAL?

A : CSA International is a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) in the U.S. and an Accredited Certification Organization (ACO) by Standards Council of Canada (SCC) in Canada. It is qualified to test to Canadian Standards Association (CSA), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), American Society of Sanitary Engineers (ASSE), National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and other standards.


Q : WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF YOUR CORPORATE AUDITS AND INVESTIGATIONS TEAM?

A : Working within CSA Group's legal department, the CAI team investigates incidents involving CSA International certified products; issues all-points bulletins, publicizes product recalls and safety notices in cooperation with manufacturers; and provides input to standards development committees.


Q : WHAT TYPE OF RETAIL SURVEILLANCE DOES CSA CONDUCT?

A : CSA International conducts two distinct types of market surveillance, overt and covert.

Overt surveillance is used when Investigators from CSA International's Audits & Investigations team visit a retail outlet to help ensure that the products being sold on the shelves conform to the same applicable standards as the sample items originally tested by CSA International. In this case, investigators visit a retail outlet and inform store personnel that they will be inspecting store items and ask for consent and cooperation. Most retail outlets in Canada are subject to overt investigations and cooperate willingly.

Covert surveillance is used when investigators suspect a retail outlet may be knowingly selling counterfeit goods. In this case, investigators will visit the location, conduct undercover surveillance and will purchase a suspect item and return it to CSA International laboratories for testing.


Q : DOES CSA INTERNATIONAL MAKE A PROFIT CERTIFYING A PRODUCT TO AN APPLICABLE STANDARD?

A : CSA International is a division of CSA group, a not-for-profit organization. There is a charge for certification, and that revenue is used to support the work CSA does to enhance public safety and health, advance the quality of life, help preserve the environment and facilitate trade.


Q : DOES CSA INTERNATIONAL CERTIFY CHILDREN'S ITEMS?

A : CSA International is a provider of product testing and certification services for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and a variety of other products but it does not test and certify all products for sale in Canada or elsewhere. Some products such as children's toys or clothing, car seats, cribs or other items are tested, inspected or certified by other accredited organizations or government bodies. Toys that plug in to an electrical outlet may be certified by CSA International or another accredited organization.

Q : I AM TRYING TO CONFIRM IF A PRODUCT IS CERTIFIED. HOW DO I KNOW?

A: Consumers can also verify the certification status of a product with a CSA International certification mark by comparing the product's identification against the authentic certification record at http://directories.csa-international.org

Q : WE ARE A MEDIA OUTLET AND WOULD LIKE TO FILM A PRODUCT BEING TESTED IN YOU LABORATORIES. IS THIS POSSIBLE?

A : Media requests for product testing should be directed to the CSA Group Senior Media Relations Officer. Requests will evaluated on a case-by-case basis. CSA International will only consider examining products that bear a CSA International certification mark.


Q : IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A MEDIA OR PUBLIC TOUR OF YOUR LABORATORIES

A : Media requests for tours should be directed to the CSA Group Senior Media Relations Officer. Tour requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and require seven business days advanced notice.

Anti-Counterfeiting

Q : WHAT ROLE DOES CSA PLAY IN PREVENTING ANTI-COUNTERFEITING?

A : CSA is taking direct aim at counterfeiting. Counterfeiting is a safety problem as well as an economic problem. If unchecked, counterfeit approval marks can enable unsafe or deficient products to gain widespread access to the North American market — a direct risk to consumers.

CSA International works closely with regulators, government, law enforcement and stakeholders to help identify and stop the proliferation of counterfeit products bearing false CSA certification marks.


Q : IS THERE A COUNTERFEIT PROBLEM WITH CSA CERTIFICATION MARKS?

A : CSA International is no more immune to counterfeiting than any of the finest organizations around the world. CSA International has initiated an aggressive program to help detect, expose and punish any unauthorized use of its registered trademarks, including all CSA certification marks. CSA has adopted a zero tolerance policy on counterfeiting.

In recent years CSA has investigated reports of counterfeit CSA marks being found on circuit breakers used in electrical panels, computer power supply units, and safety footwear.


Q : WHY IS CSA INTERNATIONAL SO CONCERNED ABOUT ITS CERTIFICATION MARK BEING COUNTERFEITED ON OTHER COMPANIES' PRODUCTS?

A : A system of standards has been put in place to test and certify products, and helps protect product manufacturers, retailers and consumers. The CSA International certification mark lets consumers know that a product has been tested and certified to meet the requirements of the applicable standard or standards. These proprietary, trademarks, which appear on billions of products worldwide, are among the most valuable brand assets of CSA International and other certification & testing laboratories. Counterfeit marks pose a real threat to the acceptance of these legitimate marks.


Q : WHAT ELSE IS CSA INTERNATIONAL DOING TO COMBAT COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS THAT BEAR COUNTERFEIT CSA INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATION MARKS?

A : CSA International's primary concern is public safety. CSA International has a zero tolerance policy toward any unauthorized use of CSA trademarks, including all certification marks.

CSA International is taking direct aim at counterfeiting by working to expose and punish any unauthorized use of our certification marks. It has formed alliances with law firms and investigators around the world to help combat the trade in counterfeit products.

Typical investigations call for identification of all parties and products involved, disposal and destruction of the illegally marked products and prosecution to the full extent of the law.


Q : HOW LONG HAS CSA INTERNATIONAL BEEN INVOLVED ANTI-COUNTERFEITING?

A : CSA International has been active in battling counterfeiting for several years, with initiatives including: training programs to help assist retailers with understanding product approval marks and detecting counterfeit marks; a White Paper on Counterfeiting; enhanced marketplace surveillance of various commercial outlets and continuing investigation.

In recent years CSA International has investigated reports of counterfeit CSA marks being found on circuit breakers used in electrical panels, computer power supply units, and safety footwear.


Q : I BELIEVE I HAVE DISCOVERED A HAZARDOUS/COUNTERFEIT PRODUCT. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

A : To report a suspected counterfeit product bearing a CSA International certification mark, or for more information about identifying counterfeit products, consumers can visit www.csa-international.org or call CSA Group's Corporate Audits & Investigations at 416-747-4278.


Q : WE ARE A MEDIA OUTLET AND WOULD LIKE TO FILM A CSA AUDITS AND INVESTIGATIONS TEAM CONDUCTING A RAID OR COVERT SURVEILLENCE. IS THIS POSSIBLE?

A : No. CSA International does not allow the filming covert investigations because the information may compromise ongoing investigations or undermine the ability to conduct these types of investigations in the future.


Q : DOES CSA INTERNATIONAL HAVE A COPY OF ITS MARKET SURVEILLENCE REPORTS AVAILABLE?

A : No. CSA International does not publicly release market survey information. CSA International cannot release market surveillance reports listing retail outlets subject to covert investigations because the information may compromise ongoing investigations or undermine their ability to conduct these types of investigations in the future.

Recalls

Q : WHAT IS A RECALL?

A : CSA International is active in publicizing recalls for potentially unsafe of faulty products that bear the CSA International certification mark. A recall is a voluntary notice issued to regulators, fire officials, safety authorities, the media, retailers, distributors and the general public to alert them to a potentially hazardous or faulty product. A recall notice will contain information on the potential fault or hazard, the manufacturer, distributor or retailer, and measures consumers should take to have the product repaired or replaced, or how to obtain a refund.


Q : ARE RECALLS MANDATORY?

A : CSA International is active in publicizing recalls for potentially unsafe of faulty products, but as a not-for profit, non-government organization, it has no authority to make a recall mandatory. In most cases, CSA International works with the manufacturers to announce a voluntary recall notice and to help remove potentially hazardous products from the market. In rare cases where the manufacturer does not cooperate, and products bear a CSA International certification mark, CSA International will issue an all points bulletin to regulatory authorities and the media to alert the public to potentially hazardous products.


Q : WHAT IS THE CRITERIA FOR CSA INTERNATIONAL TO PUBLICIZE A RECALL?

A : In order for a product to be considered for a recall,

  • It must be a potentially unsafe or faulty product that bears a CSA International certification mark.
  • The potential fault must apply to a batch or line of products and not only a single unit.
  • The product must have been used in the manner for which it was intended and in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.


Q : HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE CSA INTERNATIONAL TO DISTRIBUTE A RECALL?

A : Once alerted to a potentially hazardous or faulty product, CSA International will work as quickly as possible to distribute a recall.

On occasion, CSA International's Audits and Investigations team may need to conduct a preliminary investigation to determine: the cause of the potential fault or hazard, the batch or model numbers of the affected products, the number of products affected, the area in which the products were sold, who sold the products and under what brand names, where the products were manufactured and any reported incidents associated with the product.


Q : HOW DO RECALLED PRODUCTS BECOME CERTIFIED TO BEGIN WITH?

A : Initial certification is based on a sampling of products sent to CSA International for testing. The product is then tested to the applicable Canadian or U.S. standard. If it meets the requirements of the standard or another recognized document used as a basis for certification, it is awarded a CSA International certification mark.

Certification of a product is an ongoing process that involves follow-up factory inspections and retail surveillance to ensure conformity.

Occasionally certified products may experience manufacturing defects in a particular batch that are not detected by a manufacturer's quality control process. Other times products may have parts substituted by the manufacturer that were not part of the original design certified by CSA International.

In rare instances, products may be used in a manner for which they were not originally intended. In this case, CSA International may recommend changes to the standard to which they were originally certified.

CSA International also distributes recalls for counterfeit products bearing false CSA International certification marks.


Q : DO YOU UPDATE MEDIA OR PUBLIC ON INVESTIGATIONS OF FAULTY OR SUSPECT PRODUCTS?

A : No. CSA International's Audits and Investigations team works closely with regulators and authorities in relation to product recalls. Releasing this information may compromise ongoing investigations or undermine their ability to conduct these types of investigations in the future.


Q : WHOM DO I CONTACT IF I HAVE A RECALLED PRODUCT?

A : Each recall notice will contain detailed information on measures consumers should take in the event of a product recall. In most cases, consumers are advised to contact the manufacturer, retailer or distributor. CSA International does not perform repairs, exchanges or offer reimbursements.