Electrical
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Electrical standards are part of our everyday lives. From the products you buy to make your life more enjoyable to the systems of lines and towers that deliver the electricity to power these products, Canadian Standards Associations (CSA) offers over 700 CSA electrical standards and application tools to keep you safer.
Our Electrical standards address everything from fuses and light bulbs to sophisticated equipment for control and laboratory use. They are developed by of experts and stakeholders, representing all interested groups.
Since 1927, CSA's Canadian Electrical (CE) Code has provided the signature standards for addressing shock and fire hazards of electrical products in Canada. Regularly updated to address changing technology and operating conditions, the CE Code consists of the following parts:
Part I: Electrical Installation Code
Part II: Standards for the construction, testing and making of electrical equipment:
Part III: Outside Wiring
In addition to the CE Code, CSA has standards for the following:
- electrical engineering products
- electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
- electrical products used in explosive atmospheres (also called hazardous locations, or HazLoc).
International harmonization of standards
In addition to having a key role in the development of Canadian standards, CSA is very active in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the Council for Harmonization of Electrotechnical Standardization of the Nations of the Americas ( CANENA ), and other organizations involved in facilitating trade in electrical and electronic products. Our active participation in these various international and regional standardization forums provides Canadian industry with an opportunity to influence international standards, which are then used as the basis for CSA standards, thus helping to eliminate technical barriers to trade. In this way CSA gives manufacturers a range of options for ensuring conformity to the requirements of their target markets, helping to "Make standards work for people and business."