Compliance in Canada and USA
Compliance in Canada and USA
Canada
Health Canada is actively involved in helping the Canadian public protect themselves by implementing procedures for injury prevention.
Who Enforces the Rules in Canada? Canada Consumer Product Safety Act.
What can a Consumer do to avoid purchasing a product that is Non-Compliant with Consumer Safety Regulations in the Canada?
If a consumer has a concern they can use this form to report any product incidents or non-compliant products being sold in Canada. All product incident reports are reviewed by Health Canada.
The purpose of this Act is to protect the public by addressing or preventing dangers to human health or safety that are posed by consumer products in Canada, including those that circulate within Canada and those that are imported.
You can ask your vendor to produce a Certificate of Origin and a Certificate of Compliance including reference to the manufacturer. Ultimately, you can use the CSA or UL web sites to look up certified manufacturers, products and services. Your manufacturer or vendor will be willing and able to provide you with a Follow-
Up Service Procedure file number which can be used as traceability back to the CSA/UL approval.
As you keep your home safe, you are helping your fellow neighbour by thinking about their safety as well. UL will investigate the product in question!
Where Do I report an Unsafe or Non-conforming Product for Canada? Consumer Product Safety.
USA
Who Enforces Rules in USA? CPSC-Consumer Product Safety Commission
What can a Consumer do to avoid purchasing a product that is Non-Compliant with Consumer Safety Regulations in the USA?
If a consumer or business has a concern they can report any product incidents or non-compliant products being sold in USA. All product incident reports are reviewed by SaferProdcuts.gov. “Through SaferProducts.gov, consumers, child service providers, health care professionals, government officials and public safety entities can submit reports of harm (Reports) involving consumer products. Manufacturers (including importers) and companies who privately label are identified in Reports will receive a copy of the Report, and have the opportunity to comment on them”.
Your suppliers – manufacturers and importers – are obligated by law to provide you with documentation that ensures that the products you are buying comply with all applicable federal consumer product safety laws. See: General Certificate of Conformity (GCC).
Who must issue the GCC?
The importer must issue the GCC for products manufactured overseas, and the U.S. manufacturer must issue the GCC for products manufactured domestically.
You can ask your vendor to produce a Certificate of Origin and a Certificate of Compliance including reference to the manufacturer. Ultimately, you can use the CSA or UL web sites to look up certified manufacturers, products and services. Your manufacturer or vendor will be willing and able to provide you with a Follow-Up Service Procedure file number which can be used as traceability back to the CSA/UL approval.
If you are a manufacturer and sell directly to consumers and do not use retailers or vendors the law still requires you as a manufacturer or importer to issue a GCC that accompanies each product or shipment of products; that the GCC be furnished to retailers and distributors; and that the GCC be provided to the CPSC-Consumer Product Safety Commission, upon request. Accordingly, you do not have to provide the certificate to consumers in direct-to-consumer sales
Where Do I report an Unsafe or Non-conforming Product for USA? Safer Products.gov
Ref: NRTL- Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, Standards Council of Canada.
