Canadian standard to improve consumer product safety, new gas appliance lab opens
June 22, 2017 | By HPAC Magazine
The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) recently announced the publication of a new National Adoption of Canada that provides practical guidance to suppliers on assessing and managing consumer product safety, including effective documentation of risk assessment and risk management.
SCC collaborated with UL to facilitate the adoption of ISO 10377, Consumer product safety – Guidelines for suppliers, which was published under the National Adoption of Canada process as CAN/UL 10377. The standard is expected to support Health Canada’s efforts to encourage effective systems within Canada – particularly within small- and medium-sized enterprises – that identify, prevent or respond to real or potential dangers to human health or safety associated with consumer products.
Through the adoption process, UL Standards piloted a virtual standards development approach that included outreach to potential participants through social media to identify Canadian national differences, and conducted the ballot, public review, and comment resolution stages of the adoption process virtually.
Brian Ferriol, UL business development director, addresses attendees at the recent UL Gas Appliance Lab open house in Toronto, ON.
Online platforms and virtual communication optimized openness and transparency throughout the consensus process in line with SCC standards development requirements for a National Adoption of Canada.
UL has opened a Gas Appliance Lab at its Underwriters Road site in Toronto, ON. The lab offers a range of testing, including NOx, and certification services for gas, oil and solid fuel appliances. Gas appliance testing is a growth area in Canada, according to Joe Hosey, general manager for UL in Canada.
Travis Hardin, UL business development manager for HVAC, noted that NRCan amendments will have efficiency requirements that are more stringent than the U.S. He also highlighted the MoX testing requirements in California. “Everything starts in California but make no mistake, it will come here,” said Hardin.
Given the current political environment in the U.S.,
Travis Hardin, business development manager for HVAC, told open house attendees that “what we are hearing from our customers is that time to market is critical.” He ran through ways UL is working to deliver faster.
attendees were interested in how Hardin felt that might impact existing and pending environmental regulations. “We don’t expect to see any rollbacks,” said Hardin.
Background
SCC is a Crown corporation that leads Canada’s standardization network. SCC facilitates the development and use of national and international standards and accreditation services in order to enhance Canada’s competitiveness and well-being. SCC is part of the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada portfolio.
UL plays a key role in developing and harmonizing national and international standards. Standards Technical Panels contribute to more than 1,500 Standards. The UL Mark engenders trust enabling the safe adoption of new products and technologies. UL tests, inspects, audits, certifies, validates, verifies, advises and trains.
