CSA Approval in Ontario, Canada 2

[Drew581]

Hello,

Please excuse my ignorance, but my background is mechanical and I currently don't have an electrical engineer on staff to field my electrical questions to.

I'm purchasing a process gas analyzer for use in an industrial facility. It is manufactured in the USA and I will be installing it in a factory in Ontario, Canada. The electrical component has the following current details:
Voltage: 90 – 250 V AC, 47 – 63 Hz or 24 V DC
Approvals: Company certified according to ISO 9001 and ISO 22000
CE-marked according to:
- EMC 2014/30/EU
- Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU

Can someone versed in this field please provide a brief summary regarding when electrical components require certification to CSA standards when they are imported? Is there a size limitation, environment limitation, or something else? For instance, does a computer from a small Dell need to be CSA approved, what about a drill press, or a large welding machine or a very large crane?

I have attached the data sheet for the device I wish to purchase for reference.

Thank you in advance,
Drew

 

[GroovyGuy]

Hi Drew,
Pretty much everything 'electrical' is required to have an acceptable approval. Generally this is CSA or cUL, but any of the agencies listed below are acceptable in AB or BC. I'm not sure about ONT, you will need to check, but I would think it is similar.

C-E does not make the cut, at least here in the west, again I'm not sure about ONT.

You should be able to obtain a one-off approval for your analyser through CSA or Intertek or ???.

What does the analyser Vendor have to say about this? Personally I'd be looking for a second supplier if the Vendor cannot, or will not, provide a piece of electrical equipment with an appropriate approval.

MARKS & LABELS
The following marks and labels applied to electrical equipment are acceptable evidence of approval within the province of installation.
• CSA International (also known as Canadian Standards Association) (CB, IB)
• Provincial Safety Authority (i.e. Alberta or BC Safety Codes Authority)
• Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) (IB)
• FM Approvals LLC (CB)
• IAPMO Research and Testing, Inc.
• Intertek Testing Services – ETL / Warnock Hersey (CB, IB)
• Lab Test Certification Inc. (CB)
• MET Laboratories Inc. (CB, IB)
• NEMKO CANADA INC
• NSF International (CB)
• OMNI-Test Laboratories, Inc. (CB)
• Quality Auditing Institute (CB)
• QPS Evaluation Services Inc. (QPS) (CB, IB)
• SGS North America, Inc.
• TÜV SÜD America, Inc. (CB, IB)
• TUV Rheinland of North America, Inc.
• Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (CB, IB)

GG

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)

 

[jraef]

I'm not versed enough on Canadian requirements to answer all of your questions, but for sure anything that is going to be permanently connected (i.e. wired in, not plugged in) will need CSA or an equivalent third party listing. On that device you showed, none of the "approvals" cited would qualify.

If that is a plug-in instrument, I don't know if CSA is required or not, a Canadian member will have to answer that.


" We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know." -- W. H. Auden

 

[VEBill]

Not exactly my area, but I included 'Ontario Hydro' in the search terms, and this popped up.

https://www.esasafe.com/electricalproducts/marks

"Recognized Certification Marks - Before an electrical product or piece of electrical equipment is used, sold, displayed or advertised for sale in Ontario, it must be approved by an accredited certification or evaluation agency. ... The following is a list of recognized marks and labels: [see link]"

[edit] Link to PDF info card:

https://www.esasafe.com/assets/file..._Safety/ESA-ProductApprovalCard-Final-web.pdf

 

[LionelHutz]

Anything hooking directly to the power system in your building needs a recognized mark. With the approvals you listed, you should not even be able to get a field inspection (CSA or ESA typically are used to do this in Ontario) label for that device.

But, you could use it if you used 24VDC as the power and sourced the 24VDC from a listed power supply. You'd likely still need to put it into a control panel built by a shop that can apply a mark to the whole panel or get the installation field evaluated.

Notice how most of the marks in the link VE1BLL posted have a little c in the bottom left. That is very important because it means the mark is certifying the product meets Canadian standards. Without it, the mark is not acceptable.

 

[Drew581]

Thank you everyone for your help, specifically VE1BLL and LionelHutz.

Lionel, you specifically mention running the component through a 24VDC power source. How did you know that this causes the assembly to be exempt of the inspection on the actual device provided the power supply is CSA compliant? Is this mentioned in the ESA/CSA code regs? I trust your input, but need a way to verify this decision through official code documentation.

Thanks all for your valued input.

 

[zappedagain]

CSA/UL is checking to make sure the connection to the mains is safe, and users will be safe. So if you connect to a UL Approved power supply then you are approved. The exception is for high power equipment, so for that the power supply will probably state that the equipment being plugged in needs to be approved.

In the USA this is the difference between being UL Approved (do anything to my outputs and things are still safe) vs. UL Recognized, where the latter that states the recognized component can be used as part of a system that will be UL Approved. If you connect to the mains with custom (not UL Recognized) circuitry then your whole system needs to get tested against the higher standard; that's much more intensive than using UL Recognized components.

Z

 

[LionelHutz]

It's basically what zappedagain posted. The power supply is safe to connect to the source which makes the installation safe. To add another comment, the output of the power supply would be considered a limited energy source so the components after it don't need to be listed. There are lots of consumer devices that use a CSA or cUL listed external power "brick" to avoid having to do any CSA testing on the device itself.

 

[jraef]

If you look on the spec sheet you posted, it says;
"Voltage 90 – 250 V AC, 47 – 63 Hz or 24 V DC"

If that means you have one device that can accept all of those voltages, then you have the option of getting a CSA listed 24VDC power supply and using that to power this up.

If you needed to have ORDERED it with either an AC or the 24VDC supply option, and you ordered the AC supply version, you may have to return it and buy the 24VDC version.


" We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know." -- W. H. Auden

 

[waross]

Look into obtaining a field evaluation.
Many years ago I was responsible for the final installation of customer supplied equipment in a new Department Store in BC.
Once or twice a week, the customer would drop on my desk some new electrical device that did not have acceptable electrical certification.
I was responsible for arranging to have the equipment properly certified.
That was a lot of miles and a lot of years from Ontario today and the procedure has changed.
I believe that this is the current procedure:

Field Evaluations
Field evaluation can be considered if the item or equipment you are seeking approval for is not going to be used in a hazardous location. Field evaluations are best in situations with custom-built equipment for special applications; equipment manufactured on a non-repetitive basis; and equipment sold in quantities of less than 500 on a national basis, per model, per inspection body. (Please note: maximum quantity varies by jurisdiction). Field evaluations are appropriate when equipment is not obtainable as “certified” under a regular certification program; for equipment that is already installed or ready for use on-site and awaiting acceptance by the Authority Having Jurisdiction; complete systems of subassemblies that are all available for examination and testing during the evaluation process; and other electrical equipment as determined by the Authority Having Jurisdiction.

Link
And drill down to this: (Product approvals, Your Options)
Link


Bill
--------------------
"Why not the best?"
Jimmy Carter

 

[sunnysky]

Generally cUL logo would appear as Canada and UL have reciprocal arrangements and similar standards for this class of product.

But their US website has every EU safety logo for this DE made product.

I can't imagine this is a phony UL logo but I dont recognize it as a legit UL logo.

Call the company and question them on this suspicious issue and ask for the UL file number and document if it is qualified.