28 - Friday, December 16, 1988 - North Shore News

Many volunteers help set standards

WHENEVER YOU snap the
child-proof cap on a pill bottle,
help your littl one put on a
hockey helmet or turn on your
furnace thermostat, you benefit
from the protection of safety stan-
dards. While most of us are not
aware of this, we use standardized
products many times every year.

Are you planning to stock up on
Christmas lights for your tree or
for the front of the house? If so,
standards will help you select the
most appropriate set. Their in-
tended use — indoor or outdoor —
is marked right on the box. How-
ever, it’s up to you to make sure
you vse the right type of set for the
right piace.

Standards such as these are
published by specialized organiza-
tions, and prepared with the help
of some 10,000 volunteers from
communities across Canada. Many
other Canadians participate in
consumer advisory panels which
meet regularly in most major cities
to: make recommendations on
planned standards.

These volunteers, from diverse
fields, work together to come up
with standards that protect us
from injury and measure the per-
formance of products and services.

This : year marks the 15th an-
nivergary of the National Stan-
dards System, a federation created
in 1973 by the Standards Council
of.Canada. The Council is respon-
sible for the promotion and coor-
dination of standards development
in Canada. The system brings
together some 50 organizations
that write standards, certify pro-
ducts to these standards or test
products.

We've all seen the CSA mark on
electrical cords, ULC on fire ex-
tinguishers, or CGA on propane
tanks. These are certification

marks, and they tell us that experts
working for one of Canada’s five
accredited certification organiza-
tions have put the product through
its paces in ways specified by a
standard or a number of stan-
dards.

Take the example of a smoke
alarm. The standard for these
devices specifies that they should
have a maximum failure rate of
four per million hours. It requires
that the alarm be tested with
smoke from various sources, and
under conditions of prolonged ex-
posure to heat and humidity. The
standard even specifies that the
alarm be ‘‘provided with means of
deterring the entry of insects into
those parts of the unit which re-
quire protection.”

The ULC certification mark on
a smoke detector confirms that the
unit has been tested and meets all
requirements’. of the applicable
Standard. The same goes for any
product bearing the mark of CSA
(Canadian Standards Association),
CGA (Canadian Gas Association),
COFI (Council of Forest In-
dustries) and WHPS (Warnock
Hersey Professional Services).

Standards for some products,
such as electrical appliances, are
made mandatory by the provincial
or federal government. In those
cases, you’re unlikely to find pro-
ducts without a certification label,
but it’s still a good idea to check
for one. Sometimes products slip
into the Canadian marketplace
without certification.

When certification is voluntary,
which is the case for several pro-
ducts such as bicycle helme:s, there
may be many uncertified items
available. It’s then up to you to
look for the mark, -

Standards make their way in-
visibly under our Christmas trees,
into our home appliances, in our

STANLEY
PARK’S
“CHRISTMAS

TRAIN”

Friday, December 9th

til Monday January 2nd

(Clesed December 25th)

The popular miniature railway has donned its

festive apparel with:

LIGHTS! MUSIC! DISPLAYS!

December 9-16, § p.m.-9 p.m.

e TIMES
e COSTS:

e BARGAIN

DAYS

Other Days, 2 p.m.-3 p.m.
Children & Senlors: $.75
Adults: $1.50

Saniors free December 16, 17, 12, 19

e CHRISTMAS Open December 17 -

ZOO

January 2nd

e CHRISTMAS

TRAIN

Now wheelchair accessible

INFORMATION: 681-1741

Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation

The Canadian Legion Mt. Pleasant Branch Local 177

with assistance from

offices and cars, into our clothes
and almust everywhere else where
there is a need for safety, depend-
ability and practicality.

PRERPRSRORLRARSRLREELRERERLRERLELADRLALRORE

If you would like to know more dards,
about standards and certification,
or if you think that you could con-

tribute to the preparation of stan-

Street, Suite 1200, Ottawa,
tario KIP 6N7.

Best Value and Low Cost don’t

always mean the same thing...

especially in property
insurance.

DEPENDABLE
Our discounts for senior
citizens are important
money-saving advantages.
But qualities like stability,
excellent clz uas service and
comprehensive products are
just as important.

VALUE
Put them together with discounts of 25%
(65 and over) and 10% (60 - 65 years) and
you've found the meaning of Best Value.

Ask your independent insurance broker,
or one of the 40,000 senior citizens who
already insure with us, about the
imporiance of value.

onan NORTHERN
SHIELD

Head Office: 1900 - 555 W. Hastings, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 4N6 :
Offices In: Victoria + Kamloops « Kelowna Nanaimo - Prince George A
CANADIAN NORTHERN SHIELD — THE VALUE COMPANY

weg TM

write to: The Standards
Council of Canada, 350 Sparks

On-

PUSTEPOCOTLEO TOY

VanDusen Gardens
37th Ave. & Oak St.

Festival of Lights

December 13th - J nis 1st
(except Deccinber 25th)

5:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

Bring Pp. entire family to Pp.
VanDusen Gardens decorated for
; the holidays!
© thousands of coloured lights, twinklers &
floodlights
© classical and popular taped music
* hot roasted chestnuts
e enchanting Children’s Garden
© hot mulled apple punch and other refreshments
* great gardening gifts in shop
ADULTS $2.00 CHILDREN
FAMILIES $4.00 & SENIORS $1.00

Phone 266-7194 for further information

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