Product Certification Requirements
Richard Cousineau C.E.T.
Project & Technical Services Manager
May, 2011
Gary Bennett , CMQ/OE
Manager of Quality
Hubbell Canada LP
 HCLP Markets (and Manufactures) a Range of Products from Hubbell
Inc and Other Companies for Residential, Commercial, Industrial, and
Telecom Applications
 HCLP‟s Primary Market is Canada
 HCLP also sells to
 Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) that Incorporate Our
Material into Their Final Products Which Could be Sold
Globally
 International Customers and/or Projects
Hubbell Canada LP
 HCLP Basic Offering
 Boxes
 Plugs and Receptacles
 Switches (Manual and Automated)
 Lighting Fixtures
 Things That Hold Electrical Cables
 Assembled Equipment
 Power Poles
 Power Distribution Stuff
 Accessories and Components for the All of the Above
 OEM Products (assembly only, no certification required)
Hubbell Canada LP
 What Makes These Things Different?
 The Application or Intended Use
 Standards to Which Each is Built
 Products May Meet Multiple Standards
 Product Certification
 Majority of HCLP Products Require Canadian Certification
Only
 Other Hubbell Businesses Use Global Standards
– Products May be Certified for Multiple Countries
What Is Product Certification ?
 Countries Determine Who Is Responsible For Product “Standards” and
“Certification”
 North America
 Canada - Standards Council of Canada (SCC)
 USA - America National Standards Institute (ANSI)
– Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
 Internationally
 Depends On The Country
– e.g. SA, BOMBA, SAAB, GOST, PSB, CEPEL….
– May Not be Required (e.g. IEC)
– May Accept UL or CSA
Product Standards and Certification
 These Are Two Different Things
 Standards
 Standards Development Organizations (SDO) Write Product
Standards
 Product Certification
 The Process of Determining if a Product Meets the
Requirements of the Standards That Apply to it
– More Than One Standard May be Involved
Understanding Product
Certification In Canada
 Standards Council Of Canada Determines
 Who Writes Standards
 CSA Is The Designated SDO For Electrical Products
 Who Certifies Can Certify Products
 SCC Has Accredited 15-20 Certifying Agencies or Nationally
Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTL)
– Not all NRTLs can Certify all Types of Electrical Products
 All products Must be Approved To the Applicable CSA Standards
– Generically Means “CSA Approved”
– Some Products Are Certified To Multiple Standards
Product Certification In Canada
 Canadian Standards Association
 CSA Standards
 Writes the Canadian Electrical Code
– Contains Multiple Parts
 CSA International
 Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory
 Certifies Products to CSA Standards
– And Other Standards
Certification In Canada-C.E.C
 Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) – Part 1
 Is Not A National Code Of Canada
 Contains Installation (Wiring) Rules
 Mandates the Use of Products Certified to CEC Part 2 Standards
 Canadian Electrical Code – Part 2
 Electrical Product Standards
How Is The CEC Applied
 Electrical Installations are the Responsibility of the Individual Provinces
& Territories in Canada
 Each Designates an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) That;
 Is Responsible for Electrical Safety
 Issue Permits for All Electrical Work
 Inspect Completed Work
 Determines What Products Are Acceptable
Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)
 Adopts The CEC Part 1
 With or Without Deviations, Additions or Modifications
 Require Products be “CSA” Approved
 For the Location in Which They are Used
 Some Permit Deviations To This Rule
 Determines Their Accepted NRTLs
 This Can Vary Slightly By Jurisdiction
 CSA and cUL are Always Accepted
 Some Have Challenged Certain NRTLs
What Does “Certified” Mean?
 Approved, Certified, Listed
 All These Terms Basically Mean the Same Thing
 Evaluated by NRTL to The Applicable Standards
 NRTL is Not Related to the Manufacturer
 Certification Records are Public Record
 The Product is Acceptable to the AHJ
What Does “Certified” Mean?
 Role of the NRTL
 Equipment Testing and Evaluation
 Prepare Reports and Document Certification
 Conduct Follow-up
 May Provide Multiple Country Certification
 Manufacturers Will Certify Products for as Many Countries or
Applications as Possible
 Helps Control Manufacturing and Inventory Costs
 Multiple Certifications Can Cause Confusion
What Does “Certified” Mean?
Canada
• North America Bi-National Marks
Understanding UL Markings
 Underwriters Laboratories Has Additional Marks
 UL Listed Products
 Specific Set of Parameters
 Narrow Focus Of Standards and Testing
 Limited Field Modifications Permitted
 UL Classified Products Greater Flexibility
 Flexible Approach to Certification
 More Field Modifications Permitted
 UL Component Recognition
 Components Only
 Part Of Complete Assembly
 Speeds Up Approvals
Understanding UL Markings
 Underwriters Laboratories Has Additional Marks
 UL Listed Products
Means the
Same as CSA
 UL Classified Products - Greater Flexibility
• CSA Does Not Use this System.
• May be Issues final assemblies
 UL Component Recognition
• CSA Does Not Use this System
• Some Products covered by MOU
• May be Issues final assemblies
Issues With UL Component
Recognition
 Covers The Testing And Evaluation Of Component Products That Are
Incomplete
 Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) use these as part of a final
assembly
 Certification of the Final Product by an NRTL is Obtained Later
 CSA Has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) That Covers “Some” UR
Components
 But Not All
 Customer Needs to Determine if This is Covered for Their Application
Typical Certification Marks
for Canada
Other Important Certification Issues
 Environmental Requirements
 NEMA Enclosure Type
 Actually Means CSA or UL Type Enclosure
– These are Harmonized (Identical)
 Numbers 1 – 13
– Excludes 7, 8, 9 and 10 (These are for Hazardous Loc.)
 Some May Include Letters for Differentiation
– e.g. 3R, 3S, 4X
 International Environmental Enclosures
 Use IP Ratings (Ingress Protection)
Other Important Certification Issues
 Hazardous Location Products
 Effects HWP, HLI and Killark
 Class, Division or Zone, Gas or Dust Group and Temperature
Code must meet customers‟ requirements
 Customer Must provide the information on their requirements
 Never assume
 Never recommend based on limited information
Typical Requests
 Caller: I need an explosion proof (Hazardous) (Hazardous Location) widget..
And I don‟t have a part number
 CSR: What‟s the hazardous rating
 Caller: “Class I” or “Div 2”
 CSR: I need to know the Class, Division or Zone, Group and
Temperature Code (If Lighting)
 Caller: “I don‟t Know the rest of it”
 CSR: I need to know that before I can help
 Never Identify A Hazardous Location Product From The Catalogue
Unless The Customer Provides You With All The Information
Other Important Certification Issues
 Fire Alarm Related Devices Sold in Canada
 “CSA” not the issue
 Must be ULC Approved (not UL)
 OEM Customers May Require
 Just “UL”
 International Ratings
Certifications for Jurisdictions
Outside of Canada
 Various Customers Require products for non-CSA applications
 USA Only
 UL, FM, Entela, Etc.
 Outside of North America
 CE marking
 ATEX and CENELEC
 IEC
 Other Country Specific
 Always Consult With Product Or Technical Manager
 Prior to Selling
ESA (Ontario AHJ) Rules
Added to CEC
 Rule: 2-022 Sale or Other Disposal and Use
 No person shall use, advertise, display, sell, offer for sale or for
other disposal any electrical equipment unless it has been
approved in accordance with Ontario Regulation 438/07
 „Energized‟ products used in displays need special inspection
approval (ESA, QPS, etc.)
 Means Must be “CSA” Approved
 We Need to be “Aware” of This
 This is an issue for Marketing and Sales in particular.
Due Diligence For Product or
Marketing Managers
 Need to Know The Certification Status of Products
 Need to Check Literature For Accuracy of Certifications Identified
 Identify Products That are Not “CSA” Approved
 Advise Customer Service, Operations Planning and Field Sales Group
Due Diligence For Product
SAFETY
 The Certification of Electrical Products is the BASIC due diligence that
demonstrates a product is safe with respect to electrical shock and fire
hazards
 Federal Bill C-36, effective June 2011, puts a high degree of responsibility for
product safety on the manufacturer, importer and distributor.
 Known (reported by consumers, etc.) Defective products MUST be reported
in a timely fashion to Health Canada by the manufacturer or importer.
 Before anything can be sold, due diligence is required on the safety aspects of
the product.
 Certification to a recognized national standard is the optimal method of
providing this due diligence.
New Product Launches
 Proof of “CSA” Approval
 This is not Just Looking at US Marketing Literature
 Confirm During Product Development Stage
 Worse case
 Check CSA, UL, etc. Website for Verification if Necessary
 Evaluate Physical Product Upon Receipt for markings for
Canada
 Verified all Items Properly Marked
 Before Accepting in SAP as Available for Sale
 Use Hold Code until certain of Canadian certification status.
Be Aware of Counterfeit
Products
 ESA, EFC, AHJ & RCMP Have Found Many Counterfeit Electrical
Products
 Hasn‟t Effected Hubbell…. Yet
 3rd Party sourced products:
 Insure product is truly certified for Canada
 RECALLS can be Expensive and Hurt Our Reputation
 Litigation is Expensive