1. DEFINITIONS

1.1 Accredited Standards Development Organization (SDO) : an organization accredited by the Standards Council of Canada in accordance with specific criteria, procedures, and requirements, to operate on a continuing basis, a program for the development of plumbing related standards.

1.2 Accredited Certification Organization (CO) : an organization accredited by the Standards Council of Canada in accordance with specific criteria, procedures, and requirements to operate on a continuing basis a certification program in areas dealing with plumbing products or materials. Refer also to Appendix A.

1.3 Accredited Testing Laboratories (TL): an organization accredited by the Standards Council of Canada in accordance with specific criteria, procedures, and requirements to operate on a continuing basis a testing program in areas dealing with plumbing products or materials.

2. ROLE OF COUNCIL ROLE OF COUNCIL

2.1 The Canadian Advisory Council on Plumbing, hereinafter referred to as the Council, shall act in an advisory capacity to participating accredited organizations on matters pertaining to standards and conformity assessment programs affecting plumbing.

2.2 The Council is intended to provide an important opportunity for members to share new concepts and ideas, to discuss policy and programs, and to review innovations and new technologies that affect standards and the certification and testing of plumbing products.

2.3 The Council shall advise accredited certification organizations on the suitability of new plumbing products to meet existing related Codes or Standards. This function shall include the following:

(a) suitability of new products evaluation requirements;
(b) suitability of certification, listing, and examination practices;
(c) approval by the regulatory members of the council for Technical Information Letters (TIL's) and Other Recognized Documents (ORD's) issued by certification organizations.

3. MEMBERSHIP

3.1 Voting Members

(a) The representative of the appropriate regulatory authority of each province and territory shall be entitled to voting membership on Council. Where this responsibility is shared by more than one provincial, territorial or municipal authority, each such authority may be represented.
(b) In addition to voting members defined in (a), voting membership may also include as many as nine members from the Plumbing Industry Advisory Council (PIAC).

3.2 Associate Members

(a) Subject to (b) and (c) representatives of various authorities including SDOs, COs, TLs, federal, provincial, territorial, municipal agencies or industry concerned with plumbing and its relation to building construction, public health, as well as others, who are considered potential contributors to the work of Council may be appointed as Associate members for a three year term.
(b) One individual from each SDO, CO, TL and one individual from the National Plumbing Code administration may be appointed as an associate member.
(c) Up to a maximum of 18 members of the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating and PIAC, may be appointed as associate members.

3.3 Appointments

(a) Appointment of all members shall be approved by the Council at their next meeting.
(b) Appointment of all voting members shall be approved by the Council at their next meeting.

4. OFFICERS

4.1 Officers

(a) The officers of the Council shall be the Chair and Vice - Chair.
(b) The Chair and Vice- Chair shall be appointed by the regulatory members of the Council.
(c) Term of appointments shall be two years.
(d) Officers shall be eligible for re-appointment but shall not hold the same office for more than four consecutive years.

4.2 Executive Committee

(a) The Council may appoint an Executive Committee which shall include the Chair and Vice-Chair. All Executive decisions shall be subject to ratification by the Council.
(b) The Executive Committee shall conduct reviews of membership and recommend appointments or re-appointments.

4.3 Secretariat

(a) The Secretariat for the Council shall be selected by Council.
(b) Duties of the Secretariat shall include assisting the Chair in organizing the work of the Council including liaison with the various standards committees.

5. MEETINGS

5.1 Frequency

(a) The regular meeting of the Council shall be held once a year. Additional meetings may be held at the call of the Chair.

5.2 Voting

(a) A voting member may be represented at a meeting by an alternate or proxy with power to vote, provided the Council Secretary is advised of such prior to the meeting date.
(b) The quorum shall consist of not less than a simple majority of the total voting members. Proxies shall not be included when a quorum is being determined.
(c) Motions dealing with general Council business shall be declared approved upon the affirmative vote of 2/3 of the votes cast, including any proxies.
(d) The voting members shall make provision for in-camera sessions to deal with proprietary items of any participating agency.

5.3 Guests

(a) Non members may attend a Council Meeting, with the prior approval of the Chair.

5.4 Letter Ballots and Recorded Votes

(a) Council may make decisions by letter ballot or by a recorded vote at a meeting.
(b) Upon request, letter ballots may be issued by the Secretary, with prior approval of the Chair. The time allotted for a reply to a letter ballot is normally 30 days.
(c) For approval of a letter ballot, or a recorded vote, the affirmative vote shall:

(i) amount to two-thirds of the votes cast; and
(ii) constitute at least 50% of the total voting membership.

(d) Letter ballot results shall be compiled by the Council Secretary and reported to the voting members.

6. ACCREDITED CERTIFICATION ORGANIZATIONS (COs)

6.1 Participating certification organizations shall issue to the Council updates to their certification listings at a frequency as may be determined by the Council.
6.2 Participating COs shall be prepared to provide certification reports and data on specific certified products if so requested by Council and to provide evaluation reports and data as may be appropriate for consideration of the acceptability of new products. The certification reports or evaluation reports and data shall be confidential and not for disclosure beyond a member’s staff.
The provision of such information to other than voting members of Council may be dependent upon confidentiality considerations regarding proprietary information.
6.3 Accredited COs shall comply with criteria established by the Council and as follows:

(a) accredited COs shall be involved with the development and maintenance of standards.
(b) accredited COs shall work to Canadian requirements and accepted standards.
(c) accredited COs shall provide the regulatory authorities, at no cost, assistance in regard to questions or problems regarding products certified by them.
(d) accredited COs shall provide a product recall mechanism in cooperation with the regulatory authorities.
(e) accredited COs and the Standards Council of Canada shall develop a mechanism to ensure than certification markings relate product compliance to Canadian requirements.
(f) accredited COs shall ensure that their requirements for certification in all regulatory authority justifications remain consistent.

7. COST OF OPERATING COUNCIL

7.1 Revenue required to operate Council shall be provided by the participating COs and the Canadian Institute of Plumbing and Heating and may also be provided by others represented on the Council who may agree to do so. Budgeting, expense allowance rates and apportioning of funding shall be by mutual agreement of the funding participants.
7.2 When claimed for the regulatory members expenses coverage shall be at the allowance rates identified on the prescribed Council Claim Form.
7.3 Payment of expense claims shall be made within 30 days from receipt of expense claim forms.

Appendix A

Accredited Certification Organizations

Bureau de Normalisation du Quebec (BNQ) Canadian Standards Association (CSA) NSF International IAPMO Intertek Testing Services NA Ltd Underwriters Laboratories of Canada Underwriters Laboratories Incorporated