Copyright© 1995-2009 Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada. All rights reserved. No portion of this material may be reprinted in any form without the express written permission of Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada or as otherwise provided in writing. ICPHSO Presentation

The Role of Standards in Consumer Product Safety

An Overview of how Standards Protect Consumers

October 28, 2009

Graham Rae Dulmage

Director, Standards Department, Government Relations Office and Regulatory

Underwriters Laboratories of Canada

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OVERVIEW

• Part 1 – ULC STANDARDS

• Part 2 – CASE STUDIES

• Part 3 – NATIONAL STANDARDS SYSTEM

• Part 4 – CODES AND STANDARDS• Part 5 - SUMMARY

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1 ULC STANDARDS

ULC standards are for products and systems • Consumers are often affected by these • Consumers may not be user

ULC standards that deal with products and services consumers use

• Domestic detectors• Residential fire protection• Security systems• Insulation

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1 ULC STANDARDS …

How are Consumer Issues brought to ULC Standards?

• By committee members who represent consumer groups

• Consumer concerns are also brought to attention of standards committees by industry associations, consumer groups, fire officials, judicial system

• Consumer concerns are also brought in from ISO Copolco and other international or regional consumer groups

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2 CASE STUDES…

SMOKE ALARMS

CAN/ULC-S531-Smoke Alarms• Smoke Alarms are required by legislation and codes in

Canada to show compliance to CAN/ULC-S531• Results

– Few deaths or serious injury occur in residential dwellings where smoke alarms are used, installed and maintained

– undergoes tests to reduce nuisance alarms– has silence feature in event of accidental alarm– suggests when to replace smoke alarm– required testing maintenance to ensure trouble free and proper operation.

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2 CASE STUDIES…

Consumer Targeted Standards

• CAN/ULC-S552 (Maintenance and Testing of Smoke Alarms)

• CAN/ULC-S553 (Installation of Smoke Alarm)

– intended for the consumer.

– Address issues such as: premature failure of long life batteries, smoke alarm and sleeping kids, smoke alarm and elderly

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2 CASE STUDIES …

Fire Extinguishers• CAN/ULC-S503-05 Standard for Carbon-Dioxide Fire

Extinguishers• CAN/ULC-S504-02 Dry Chemical Fire Extinguishers• And other standards When developed the S500A committee and its task

groups used a sampling of various “Consumers" to validate the pictogram instructions on the side of fire extinguishers. The pictograms were developed

based on the reaction of consumers putting out actual fires. (ie Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep) .

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3 NATIONAL STANDARDS SYSTEM

• Composed of many players including ULC• Key Standards Council of Canada committees that have

a direct effect on standards for consumers are:– Consumer and Public Interest Committee– Canadian Advisory Committee to ISO Committee on Consumer

Policy (ISO Copolco) – Canadian Advisory Committee to ISO Committee on Developing

Country Matters (ISO Devco)

• National Standards of Canada require a National Public Interest Statement for each standard submitted– Includes a requirement for how the standard meets Consumer issues

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3 NATIONAL STANDARDS SYSTEM..

• Example of a National Public Interest Statement related to Consumers

“This CAN/ULC-S801 standard will help enhance safety and security of the generation, transmission and distribution systems of utilities across Canada, and will also reduce the frequency and duration of power outages to consumers, thus protecting them from business loss, serious health and safety risk issues that emerge from loss of system power, and general inconvenience.”

 

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4. CODES & STANDARDS

STANDARDS

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4 CODES & STANDARDS…

• Referencing in codes and regulation enhances the protection for a consumer

• Key references for standards that affect consumers– Health Canada – Domestic Detectors– Transport Canada – PFDs and Life Vests, extinguishers– NRCan – Energy Efficiency– National Fire Code, National Building Code – Smoke Alarms,

Extinguishers, Fire Safety requirements, Building Material Standards

– National Energy Code – Air Barriers, Insulation Standards

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4 CODES & STANDARDS…

• Standards are voluntary

• Key places for standards to be referenced

– Health Canada– Transport Canada– NRCan– National Building Code– National Fire Code– National Energy Code

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5 SUMMARY

• Consensus standards are key means of ensuring consumer product safety

• Consumers do have input into standards through direct and indirect means

• National Standards System provides means of consideration

• Referencing standards in Codes and Regulations increasing their utility for consumers

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4 SUMMARY

THANK YOUTHANK YOURae DulmageRae Dulmage

Director, Standards Department, Director, Standards Department, Government Relations Office and Government Relations Office and

Regulatory Regulatory

Graham.r.dulmage@ca.ul.com

613-755-2729 Ext. 6229613-755-2729 Ext. 6229

http://www.ulc.cahttp://www.ulc.ca