Registration program terms and conditions guide

(Revised 2021-02)

Table of contents


Revisions table

This document will continue to be periodically reviewed by Measurement Canada to ensure its effectiveness with respect to its objectives. The following revisions are authorized by the President of Measurement Canada.

Revisions table
Date of revision or addition Language Section Nature of revision or addition
2021-02 English and French 1.8.2
1.13
Removed specific fee amounts and added reference to the web page that includes the fees applicable to authorized service providers.
2021-02 English and French 2.2
2.10
Removed the paragraphs pertaining to the requirement to have criminal record checks conducted.

Previous revisions table

Introduction

This document has been designed to provide additional information that serves as guidance for the Registration Program Terms and Conditions.

1.0 General

No additional guidance provided in this section.

1.1. Program name

No additional guidance provided for this section.

1.2. Program objectives

No additional guidance provided for this section.

1.3. Program scope

Registration is only open to sectors that have received full agreement from stakeholders in a given sector, including vulnerable parties, and have been identified in accordance with the registration program.

The examination of a conditionally approved device by an authorized service provider is allowed; however, certain guidelines are to be followed prior to a device being examined and these guidelines can be found in bulletin GEN-04.

Bulletin GEN-41—Type Approval and Inspection of Devices: Clarification of What Is Considered Trade clarifies which activities are considered trade in order to determine whether devices used in trade require type approval and examination.

Note: Examinations of devices belonging to companies licensed by the Canadian Grain Commission to operate transfer or terminal elevators are typically carried out by Canadian Grain Commission inspectors who have been recognized by Measurement Canada.

1.3.1 General

The Submit inspection results page on Measurement Canada's website contains the information regarding trade sectors, device types and examination types.

1.3.2 Program scope by sector

No additional guidance provided for this section.

1.3.3 Program exclusions

Examinations of systems for liquefied petroleum gases, such as propane and butane (product code 31) and anhydrous ammonia (NH3, product code 32) are included in the present scope of registration if these systems are used in a trade sector listed in 1.3.2.

1.4. Definitions

No additional guidance provided in this section.

1.5. Eligibility

No additional guidance provided in this section.

1.6. Registration application

Where there is a head office and branch offices, one application per legal entity will be required. If they are all under the same legal entity, only one registration application will be required.

1.7. Scope of registration of the organization

The device, product and physical standard types can be selected from manuals and tables related to the Online Reporting Application Terms and Conditions of Use.

1.8. Granting, maintenance, suspension, revocation and reinstatement of registration

1.8.1 Granting of registration

The main point of contact for an organization is the local Measurement Canada alternative service delivery office.

The organization's top manager may delegate any of its responsibilities to the management representative if a written copy of this delegation has been sent to Measurement Canada.

1.8.1.1 Granting of registration to an organization that is or was accredited by Measurement Canada

As appropriate, Measurement Canada will consider the following factors:

  • reason for the suspension or revocation of the accreditation (voluntary or enforcement action)
  • changes and corrections made by the organization
  • the period of inactivity as an authorized service provider
  • history of examinations conducted by technicians
  • compliance history of the organization as an authorized service provider

Theoretical and/or practical evaluations for one or more technicians who were on the Schedule A of the accredited organization could be required before being added to the Schedule A of the organization.

1.8.2 Maintenance of registration

It is important that authorized service providers notify Measurement Canada early on of any ownership or other structural change being planned so that a smooth and seamless transition can be planned for the continued recognition by Measurement Canada of examination work performed by the organization.

It should be noted that fees may apply. For example, if an authorized service provider decides to suspend its registration under one legal entity and apply for registration under a different legal entity, the initial registration fee will be charged.

1.8.3 Voluntary suspension of registration

No additional guidance provided in this section.

1.8.4 Suspension of registration due to Measurement Canada enforcement

No additional guidance provided in this section.

1.8.5 Revocation of registration due to Measurement Canada enforcement

No additional guidance provided in this section.

1.8.6 Reinstatement of registration

No additional guidance provided in this section.

1.9. Amendments to the agreement and its schedules

Delinquent accounts may be of any sort and not necessarily related to the registration program (e.g. device approval fees, calibration fees, initial examination fees, etc.). An outstanding violation is a violation for which the deadlines established by Measurement Canada are not met by the organization.

Measurement Canada reserves the right to refuse to add technicians to the organization's Schedule A or to restrict their scope.

1.10. Surveillance and monitoring

Follow-up examinations

Follow-up examinations conducted in the presence of a technician are performed by observing a technician as they examine a device included in their scope. The technician is expected to demonstrate in a field environment the entire examination (inspection) procedure outlines and related standard test procedures for the device in question. This includes the examination of seals and markings, as well as the distinctive features of the installation/environment. It is also possible to establish the condition of standards used, determine the level of knowledge required by the technician and check whether the technician has direct access to the relevant documentation. At the same time, the technician's general skills are also evaluated. If needed, at the end of the examination, the inspector may ask questions to the technician for clarification purposes.

If problems are encountered during a follow-up examination in the absence of a technician, additional follow-up examinations might be performed to establish the cause of the problems.

Reports and corrective actions

For each follow-up examination, a report will be completed by the Measurement Canada. In addition, an examination certificate will be issued by Measurement Canada when the follow-up examination is carried out in the absence of a technician.

The time frame for the organization to determine and implement corrective action should be discussed and agreed to with Measurement Canada.

1.11. Violations and enforcement

A distinction should be established between the concept of violation and what follows:

  • device non-compliance, which is used to refer to the status of a device when it is being examined
  • infractions by the trader or the owner of the device

Violations are acts or omissions by the organization or its personnel that may compromise measurement equity and accuracy and the legality of devices. They may be harmful to the registration program’s reputation with traders or the public or the confidence they have in the program, or seriously undermine the confidence between the organization or its technicians and Measurement Canada. They may be violations of the Act, Regulations, Registration Program Terms and Conditions or the agreement, or non-compliance with the policies, bulletins, procedure or other directives issued by Measurement Canada.

The goal of the various enforcement actions is to prevent devices that do not comply with the Act and Regulations from being used or certified and to ensure that, following the notice of violations, effective corrective actions are implemented by registered organizations.

The analysis of causes should be in depth and go beyond attributing the problem to technician error.

1.12. Appeal process

No additional guidance provided for this section.

1.13. Registration fees

Effective 2019, all fees are increased annually by the applicable Consumer Price Index determined by the Government of Canada.

Prior to an organization being granted registration or having its registration reinstated, Measurement Canada performs an assessment to determine its conformance to the requirements. The assessment includes, but is not limited to, an assessment of the following:

  • application
  • legal entity
  • access to Measurement Canada information
  • training
  • physical standards
  • seals
  • examination marks
  • stickers
  • inspection procedures

For organizations located in Canada, all fees are subject to applicable taxes.

Training fees are applicable for each partial or full training day.

Example: If an organization wishes to send three individuals on a five-day training session which starts at 1:00 p.m. on Monday and ends at noon on Friday of the same week, the fees (prior to July 1, 2019) would have been:

3 individuals x 5 days x $100 each = $1,500 (plus applicable taxes)

There are no fees for practical evaluations or follow-up examinations.

There are no fees for practical evaluations or follow-up examinations.

1.14. Official Language Act

No additional guidance provided in this section.

2.0 Requirements for registered organizations or organizations seeking registration

2.1 Compliance with requirements

No additional guidance provided in this section.

2.2 Recognized technicians

No additional guidance provided in this section.

2.3 Technician training and competency

No additional guidance provided in this section.

2.4 Reference documents

Reference documents may be provided in hard copy or in electronic format (e.g., on CD or the Internet). Organizations are encouraged to use Measurement Canada's published procedures, but have the flexibility to propose other procedures that achieve the same results; however, these procedures will have to be accepted by Measurement Canada.

The Online Reporting Application Terms and Conditions of Use and related manuals and tables provide all the necessary details regarding examination certificates.

2.5 Physical standards

The number of standards submitted for calibration should be commensurate with the number of recognized technicians and only those standards used to perform examinations in accordance with the Act will be designated by Measurement Canada (see bulletin A-2 — Calibrations of Standards and Measuring Apparatus Owned and Used by Authorized Service Providers to Conduct Inspections).

While Measurement Canada issues all certificates of designation, the calibration work may be performed by a calibration laboratory that Measurement Canada recognizes.

Calibration frequency is determined in accordance with section 56 of the Regulations.

Electronic thermometers need particular attention. See section 5 of bulletin V-24

An organization may borrow or rent, from other organizations, test standards that have been designated by Measurement Canada as local standards.

Organizations that apply to receive registration or that are registered to perform examinations in accordance with the Act may in some circumstances be able to borrow some certification equipment from the local Measurement Canada district office. The conditions under which the equipment may be borrowed is governed by bulletin GEN-37.

2.6 Service and examination of devices used in trade

Technicians will take the necessary actions to ensure that devices for use in trade that are being put back into service following repair, maintenance or adjustment meet the applicable requirements of the Act, Regulations and specifications.

Measurement Canada expects organizations’ management to make the necessary arrangements to ensure that work done by all of their technicians, particularly maintenance, repairs, adjustments and calibrations, meets the requirements of the Act, Regulations and specifications.

2.7 Forms, certificates, seals, examination marks and examination (inspection) stickers

No additional guidance provided in this section.

2.7.1 Test reports and examination certificates

Organizations should retain test and examination records for each examination which includes evidence of conformity with the acceptance criteria for applicable device examination procedures (Field Examination Manual, examination procedure outlines and standard test procedures for mass and volume).

Organizations can establish and maintain test and examination records in a variety of ways (travellers, field notes, test reports, checklists, etc.). Test and examination records may refer to the applicable weights and measures standard test procedures and inspection procedure outlines without repeating their content. Test and examination records may be designed to cover a variety of device types in a single document.

2.7.2 Control of seals, examination marks and examination (inspection) stickers

No additional guidance provided in this section.

2.7.3 Requirements of sections 40, 41 and 42 of the Weights and Measures Regulations

No additional guidance provided in this section.

2.8 Device traceability

Organizations submit information on all the physical standards used during an examination when submitting device examination data and results via the Online Reporting Application.

2.9 Planning follow-up examinations by Measurement Canada

The organization will provide all the necessary assistance to Measurement Canada personnel in planning and conducting follow-up examinations.

For follow-up examinations conducted in the presence of a technician, Measurement Canada will inform the organization of which technicians and, if applicable, which combination of device type, product or physical standard will be subject to the follow-up examination. These follow-up examinations are intended to be conducted in collaboration with Measurement Canada.

2.10 Additional responsibilities of registered organizations

The changes to requirements include changes that may be brought about by changes to legislation, technical specifications, bulletins, policies, procedures or the Registration Program Terms and Conditions.

All and any fees associated to the confirmation of the validity of the legal entity status are the responsibility of the organization. An online search or hard copy from the governing body is deemed acceptable.

3.0 Requirements for recognized technicians

3.1 Technician recognition, training and evaluation

Technician training covers the following topics:

  • powers granted to authorized service providers and technicians, as well as their duties and responsibilities
  • relevant requirements of the Act, the Regulations and applicable ministerial specifications
  • relevant Measurement Canada notices of approval and bulletins
  • relevant technical requirements and examination procedures
  • appropriate selection, protection and use of measurement standards
  • appropriate use of examination marks and seals

Measurement Canada will evaluate candidates through a theoretical and a practical examination. A mark of 70% or higher is required to pass examinations.

A candidate who fails an examination for the first time will be given an opportunity to take a make-up examination. A second failure will result in certain conditions having to be met, such as having to attend the training again and redo the examination. A further failure would result in the candidate not being qualified as a recognized technician by Measurement Canada. Even if a technician is already recognized for a certain scope, subsequent examination failures for new scopes could result in the existing recognition being withdrawn.

If the technician is not recognized within 12 months following the practical examination, another successful practical examination will be required before the technician can be recognized.

Measurement Canada will determine the device type, product, standard and procedure required for the practical evaluations based on the scope requested for the technician.

Measurement Canada reserves the right to monitor technicians at any time. If a recognized technician is found to no longer have the required knowledge or skills, the technician's recognition may be suspended by Measurement Canada.

If specialized training is not yet available through Measurement Canada, Measurement Canada may accept that the training be given by other means. Measurement Canada can provide the conditions that must be met by the organization given the specific circumstances. In all cases, Measurement Canada will remain responsible for evaluating all candidates through theoretical and practical evaluation.

Recognized technicians who leave an authorized service provider to work for another authorized service provider, or who have ceased being recognized for a period of time, will be re-evaluated before they can be added to the other authorized service provider's Schedule A. The scope of the evaluation will be at the discretion of Measurement Canada.

Measurement Canada reserves the right to refuse to add a technician to the Schedule A of any authorized service provider or to restrict the technician's scope.

3.2 Maintenance of authorization to conduct examinations

At any time, Measurement Canada may suspend or withdraw a technician's authority to examine and submit device examination data and results.

3.3 Use of physical standards

No additional guidance provided in this section.

3.4 Examination and certification

Organizations may certify devices only upon the request of the owner or person in possession of the device at the time the service is provided.

A complete examination is not required when submitting device examination data and results for the issuance of a rejection certificate for a device that does not meet the requirements.

The examination of devices at the factory or any location other than the intended point of use may be subject to supplementary requirements (e.g., the requirements found in bulletins M-23 and V-4).

3.5 Reports and certificates

See the Measurement Canada Enforcement Policy for Weighing and Measuring Devices, Part 1 — Authorized Service Providers and Appendix 4 of the Registration Program Terms and Conditions.

Technicians should complete test and examination records for each examination which includes evidence of conformity with the acceptance criteria for applicable device examination procedures (Field Examination Manual, examination procedure outlines and standard test procedures for mass and volume).

4.0 Responsibilities of Measurement Canada

For organizations and technicians, the main contact at Measurement Canada is the Regional Manager alternative service delivery office. When required, they will be referred to the appropriate resource people (i.e. technical specialists, laboratory staff, etc.).