Date: 9/14/2021
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CSA Rating Explained: CSA Vs. UL For US Companies
What does “CSA rated” mean?
The CSA mark demonstrates that a product has been rigorously tested to applicable standards and serves as an umbrella certification for the products. CSA Group is a recognized third-party certification body and testing agency with specialized expertise in the North American region.
All R&M electric hoists, motors and electrical panels come certified to the CSA c/us standards, which means Canadian and United States facility managers and crane builders alike can trust the quality and compliance of our lifting equipment.
Is CSA as Good as UL in the US?
We get this question from many US-based customers. Often, the underlying question is actually, “Do I need both CSA and UL certification? I usually just use UL.”
The answer is no.
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and CSA Group (CSA) are both Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs) recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under Federal Code 29 CFR 1910.7. A product carrying the NRTL’s certification signifies that the NRTL tested and certified the product, and that the product complies with the requirements of one or more appropriate product safety test standards.
UL may be more common in the US than CSA, but in fact, CSA and UL can test product against the same standards making a CSA certification virtually interchangeable with UL certification.
The presence of a CSA mark with a “US” subscript indicates CSA has tested and evaluated the product for compliance in the United States. When a product carries the “CSA c/us” mark, end-users in the United States and Canada can trust that it follows their local standards and will perform to target.
Why choose CSA-rated products?
Leadership in North American Markets
Gain peace of mind by working with a North American-based, knowledgeable, reliable and recognized leader in safety and environmental certification for Canada and the US.
CSA marks have earned trust
CSA-certified products are tested to over 400 US standards, including those from ANSI and UL, regulators, retailers, distributors, manufacturers, inspectors and Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).
Save on installation and inspection time
Depending on your region and your local standards in the US, 3rd party certification through an NRTL is vital to your work. For some, this can be a lengthy process that includes inspections of parts, individual certification and planned downtime at your facility.
When you buy products that are CSA rated, certification becomes much easier. R&M products are CSA rated and our electric hoists, motors and electrical panels are all CSA certified as individual components.
With components that are pre-certified by an NRTL, it takes much less time and effort to get your new crane commissioned. R&M takes this a step further with our modular crane packages. Modular crane packages deliver all the necessary parts for a crane build – the facility only needs to supply the bridge girder. And because all of R&M’s main components are covered under our CSA certification, builders spend less time buying individual parts that will meet the application’s standards. Once the crane is built, the inspection process by a 3rd party to certify the complete crane becomes much less complex.
CSA-Rated Across the Board
At R&M, we believe that when there’s a chance to go above and beyond, it’s worth taking. So, because CSA certification is a must-have for our Canadian customers, we made it standard for North America– this drives better safety, more confidence and faster installation for the people who trust us to provide their lifting equipment.
Want to know more? Talk with a local expert or find an R&M distributor near you.