Why Do I Need a Field Evaluation?

Have you ever stopped to think if the electrical equipment you are building or importing into Canada has been approved for use in Canada? All electrical equipment must follow the guidelines set by the Canadian Electrical Code Part 1 to be approved for use. This process can be completed by a certification process or a field evaluation. If you’re unsure if your product is approved for use in Canada, you can contact Vision Integrity. We would be happy to help you through this process.

Why does the equipment need approval?

All electrical equipment that is manufactured or imported into Canada must be approved, as per the Canadian Electrical Code. This is performed by a certification body or an inspection body to ensure the product will not shock someone or cause a fire. These processes ensure that equipment is up to the standards set by the CSA as well as the Canadian Electrical Code. However, the certification process has its limitations. In these situations, the inspection will instead go through a field evaluation process for approval. Vision Integrity is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada to perform field evaluation inspections to SPE-1000 standard, ensuring safety and code compliance on various products.

How is equipment approved through a field evaluation?

A field evaluation for electrical equipment will follow the procedure laid out under the CSA-SPE-1000 model code. The evaluations are conducted by an inspection body accredited by the Standards Council of Canada, such as Vision Integrity. To become accredited, an inspection body must be assessed and publicly recognized for the integrity, reliability, and technical competence of an organization’s inspection services. Vision Integrity’s accreditation shows that we are a reliable and competent inspection body, and can be trusted to perform an inspection that meets the SCC’s high standards.

Field evaluations examine the equipment to ensure they meet the minimum requirements of electrical safety. This includes ascertaining the construction, marking and testing requirements that the equipment must meet before it can be labelled. The field evaluation process evaluates electrical equipment and products with the objective of minimizing any safety risks through the procedures used during the evaluation process.

Upon completion of your inspection, you will receive a full report outlining all the inspection activities and criteria that were used. If any issues arise from the inspection, they will be documented on the report with a picture detailing the issue and a recommended solution to fix the issue. If your product complies with all applicable standards and passes all testing requirements you will be issued an inspection label.

As an accredited inspection body, Vision Integrity is happy to provide any field evaluations you may need. We will ensure that your equipment is safe and meets all standards and requirement in an efficient and cost-effective manner. To schedule a field evaluation, or for any of our other available engineering solutions, contact us today.