Q: Who checks that products and services conform to standards?

In principle, the vast majority of Canadian and international standards are voluntary.
In practice, the demands of the marketplace make many standards mandatory. A bolt manufacturer whose products don’t fit a standard nut, for example, probably won’t have many customers.

Buyers who want to assess whether their suppliers provide goods that conform to standards have a number of options. They may take the suppliers’ word for it. They may check the products themselves. They may also insist that the supplier ask an independent third party to verify the products’ conformity. These third parties often indicate that conformity by putting their own label, or mark, on the product.

In many cases, government regulators may make a standard mandatory by referring to it in legislation. The usual way of doing this is to refer to the standard in legislation. Provincial and territorial electrical codes, for example, require electrical products to conform to Canadian electrical safety standards. Under these regulations, products can’t be sold unless they’ve been tested and certified by a recognized conformity assessment body.

One way of recognizing conformity assessment bodies is through accreditation. The Standards Council of Canada is the national accreditation body for organizations that provide standards-related conformity assessment services.