History and Formation
– Lack of interoperability during World War I led to the formation of a standards committee.
– The Canadian Engineering Standards Association (CESA) was established in 1919.
– CESA initially focused on specific needs such as aircraft parts, bridges, building construction, electrical work, and wire rope.
– The first standards issued by CESA were for steel railway bridges in 1920.
– CESA published the Canadian Electrical Code in 1927 and assumed responsibility for testing and certifying electrical products in 1940.
Accreditation and Certification
– CSA is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada.
– The CSA registered mark indicates that a product has been independently tested and certified to meet recognized standards for safety or performance.
– The certification mark was introduced in 1946.
– CSA is known as the Association canadienne de normalisation (ACNOR) in French.
– CSA has international alliances in Britain, Japan, and the Netherlands for testing and certification.
Expansion and Involvement
– In the 1960s, CSA developed national Occupational Health and Safety Standards.
– CSA expanded its involvement in consumer standards in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
– Tom Pashby served as chairman of CSA and set standards for ice hockey helmets and lacrosse helmets.
– In 1984, CSA established the Quality Management Institute (QMI) for ISO9000 registration.
– CSA International was established in 1999 to provide international product testing and certification services.
Standards Development
– CSA develops standards in 57 areas, including business management, safety, and performance standards.
– Most standards are voluntary, but adherence to them is beneficial for companies.
– The CSA mark can only be applied by licensed or authorized individuals.
– CSA developed the CAN/CSA Z299 series, now called N299, for quality assurance standards in nuclear power plant supplies.
– CSA standards are referenced in Canadian legislation, with 40% of all issued standards being referenced.
Additional Information
– CSA has a dedicated article on the CSA keyboard.
– References for CSA Group’s history can be found on their website.
– The Standards Council of Canada is responsible for accrediting CSA.
– Additional information about CSA can be found on AGL – CSA – Links.
– Cosmo R. Castaldi’s book ‘Safety in Ice Hockey’ discusses CSA’s involvement in helmet standards.
– Articles on Tom Pashby’s contributions to helmet standards can be found in The Toronto Star and The Gazette. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Standards_Association
The CSA Group (formerly the Canadian Standards Association; CSA) is a standards organization which develops standards in 57 areas. CSA publishes standards in print and electronic form, and provides training and advisory services. CSA is composed of representatives from industry, government, and consumer groups.
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| Abbreviation | CSA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1919 |
| Purpose | Standards organization |
| Headquarters | 178 Rexdale Blvd. Toronto, ON M9W 1R3 |
| Coordinates | 43°42′44.56″N 79°34′19.03″W / 43.7123778°N 79.5719528°W |
Region served | Canada, United States, Asia, Europe |
President & CEO | David Weinstein |
| Website | www |
CSA began as the Canadian Engineering Standards Association (CESA) in 1919, federally chartered to create standards. During World War I, lack of interoperability between technical resources led to the formation of a standards committee.
CSA is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada, a crown corporation which promotes voluntary standardization in Canada. This accreditation verifies that CSA is competent to carry out standards development and certification functions, and is based on internationally recognised criteria and procedures.
The CSA registered mark shows that a product has been independently tested and certified to meet recognized standards for safety or performance.
