Switchboards built and certified for Canada and USA Market
HSA in Canada and in the US
Relying on HSA for the construction of your switchboards for the US and Canadian markets means avoiding the risk that a switchboard may be considered non-compliant by the Authorities Having Jurisdiction.
The switchboard will be built in a manner that is compliant with the rules of the country of destination and will be certified before departure by qualified technicians who have verified the compliance of the system with the regulations, and who will issue and affix the special certification stamp.
It is important to know that, as regards Canada, the certification rules vary according to the state: being certain that your switchboards meet the required conformity standards before departure will save you time during the on-site installation.
National Electric Code (NEC)
The National Electric Code (NEC) is updated every 3 years and modified as needed to continue to raise safety standards and reduce fatalities.
Every three years, 18 NEC Code Making (CMP) groups made up of electrical equipment manufacturers, inspectors, installers and other electrical experts come together to improve and make the latest installation techniques safer for the latest and most elaborate electrical technologies to date. The maintenance-related change found in the 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) is of interest:
Section 110.17, Equipment maintenance is brand new for NEC 2023 and, as part of article 110 “General requirements for electrical installations”, it applies to all types of service and maintenance work. This new section of the code mandates that all electrical and servicing preventive maintenance work must be performed by qualified persons trained in the maintenance and handling of electrical equipment. Section 110.17 also requires electrical preventive maintenance and servicing to be performed in accordance with the original equipment manufacturer’s instructions together with any information provided in the equipment list, applicable industry standards or as approved by the competent authority (AHJ ). All work must be carried out by using identified spare parts.
Canadian Electrical Code (CEC)
The Canadian Electrical Code (CEC), which was first published in 1927, is a safety standard for all electrical equipment operating at all voltages in electrical installations in Canada. It is published by the CSA Group, a private organization that exists to develop national safety standards for a wide variety of electrical equipment, industrial machinery, and building materials.
Despite the use of the Canadian term, the CEC is not a single national law but a group of laws adopted locally by individual provinces, territories and municipalities to standardize the application of safe electrical practices. In each province, in addition to the Canadian Electrical Code, which is implemented locally with possible “amendments”, there are other CSA regulations applicable to switchboards and machines, and local codes such as the SPE-1000.
In Ontario, for example, the local authority, i.e. ESA, performs inspections according to the SPE-1000.
These standards are updated every three years. The current edition of the CEC was issued in January 2021, while the 26th edition will be issued in 2024.
