For Inspection Body Accreditation Program customers,

SCC has now published the revised Requirements and Guidance - Inspection Body Accreditation Program. This document revision was done to account for the addition of a new sub-program, the accreditation of inspections against CSA Model Code SPE-3000, for Medical Electrical Equipment. However, SCC has used this opportunity to introduce other important changes, all resulting from consultation with its stakeholders:

• In response to a regulator request, a requirement and a guidance statement was added stating that Inspection Bodies shall include regulatory requirements in their inspection activities.
• The requirements for inspection reports were revised to be more specific. This was in response to concerns from CACES that there was too much variability in the content of inspection reports from one inspection body to another. To improve consistency in the industry, SCC is now requiring 12 specific items to be included in each inspection report. These items were determined by consulting various national and international standards regarding electrical inspections.
• A requirement was added that inspection reports be submitted to SCC and/or the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) in a timely manner when requested.
• A requirement was added that inspection bodies shall notify the relevant AHJ of safety-related product recalls or hazards.

With the introduction of the SPE-3000 sub-program, we wish to clarify how the witness audit requirements are required now that customers are applying for this accreditation:

• Accreditation of SPE-3000 will be conditionally based on a successful head office assessment.
• To maintain this new accreditation to SPE-3000, two successful witness audits are required. The IB’s first SCC witness audit shall occur within 6 months of the IB’s accreditation date; and, the second witness audit 6 months after than or within 12 months of the accreditation date.
• The IB shall be subject to a head office assessment and, 2 witness audits each year thereafter.

Please review the new Requirements and Guidance document, now available on SCC’s website, and if you have any questions, please direct them to Rassoulou Diallo, Manager, Technical Services, at rdiallo@scc.ca or + 1 613 238 3222 ext. 437.