Definitions of Oversight or Regulating Bodies

CSA (Canadian Standards Association) – The Canadian Standards Association Performs a function for manufacturers similar to that performed in the USA by Underwriters Laboratory Inc. (UL). CSA develops standards for electrical products that parallel UL standards in many aspects but are not always identical. CSA tests products and grants paying clients “Certification” that their products meet CSA standards.

IEC (The International Electrotechnical Commission) - The International Electrotechnical Commission is a worldwide standards organization having 43 member countries. The United States is active in many areas of the IEC and the standards it develops. Sponsorship of the U.S. effort on the IEC is by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), coordinated by the United States National Committee of the IEC (USNC). The IEC produces many standards covering all aspects of the electrical and electronic industry. IEC standards are accepted in whole or in part by many countries around the world.

NEC (National Electric Code) – A document which basically describes recommended safe practice for the installation of all types of electrical equipment. The NEC is not a “legal document” unless it is so designated by a municipality as its own statute for safe electrical installations. It is revised and published every three years. The NEC is “national” only in the fact that it is the only document of which all or part is accepted by all states as an electrical guide. It is the only document of its kind written with national input supplied by twenty “panels” of advisors containing several hundred experts in the electrical field from all parts of the country. The sponsoring agency of the NEC is the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA).

NEMA (The National Electrical Manufacturers Association) – An organization of manufacturers of electrical equipment, including, but not limited to, wiring devices, wire and cable, conduit, load centers, pressure wire connectors, circuit breakers, fuses, etc.. NEMA is the “voice” of the electrical industry, and through its standards, electrical products are formulated. Generally these standards promote interchangeability between products of one manufacturer with like products made by another manufacturer. In some cases, standards relating to product “performance” are also formulated by NEMA but these are the exception rather than the rule. NEMA standards certainly are not compulsory, but generally they are accepted by those manufacturers that help to write them as a way of making their products more saleable and acceptable. NEMA standards are utilized by many consumers in writing specifications for the materials they purchase.

UL (Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.) – A non-profit corporation, operating as a testing facility and a developer of safety standards. By its own definition, Underwriters Laboratories defines itself as follows: “Underwriters Laboratories Inc. founded in 1894, is chartered as a not-for-profit organization without capital stock, under the laws of the state of Delaware to establish, maintain, and operate laboratories for the examination and testing of devices, systems and materials to determine their relation to hazards to life and property”.

UL tests products for paying “clients” and if the product submitted passes the requirements of the UL standard for which it is submitted, a UL “Listing” is granted which allows the manufacturer to use the UL manifest or “Label” on its products. It is important to remember that UL is not an approval agency. It approves nothing, but merely lists a product as meeting minimum standards for safety. The Underwriters "Listing” mark on a product is generally accepted by the public and government agencies as evidence of a “safe” product, not necessarily a “quality” product.

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