CSA International - History

History

CSA International was established as a provider of product testing and certification services in 1999.

Prior to CSA International, product testing and certification services were provided by the laboratories of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), which was originally founded in 1919 as the Canadian Engineering Standards Association (CESA).

When a nationwide approach to certification of electrical products was called for in 1940, CESA assumed the responsibility for testing and certifying electrical products intended for sale and installation in Canada. To better reflect the breadth of CESA’s activity, it officially became the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) in 1944. Shortly thereafter, in 1946, the CSA Certification Mark was officially registered.

As World War II ended, Canada experienced a housing boom and CSA was called on to develop additional independent third-party testing and certification programs for areas such as gas and plumbing. To meet the increased demand, in 1954, CSA officially opened its fully equipped laboratories on Rexdale Boulevard in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Today CSA International has laboratories across Canada, the U.S., Asia, and Europe, and works closely with approximately 15,000 companies in more than 60 countries.