ESA has oversight for product safety related to the approval of electrical products before they are sold, used, offered, advertised or put on display in Ontario. ESA also responds to unsafe industrial and commercial products on the market. The Product Safety Regulation provides ESA with the tools to respond quickly to product safety incidents.

Regulating product safety:

• provides up-to-date rules to protect consumers, users, operators and the public from the use of unapproved or unsafe electrical products;
• promotes safe market practices for distributing electrical products;
• creates a legal framework to respond to unapproved or unsafe commercial and industrial electrical products;
• deters non-compliance and strengthens enforcement; and
• creates clear requirements for manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers; and certification and evaluation agencies of electrical products

The Product Safety Regulation authorizes the ESA to:

• respond to reports about unsafe commercial and industrial products;
• remove unsafe or unapproved commercial and industrial electrical products from the market;
• require public notification; and
• use proactive enforcement to detect and prevent the sale of unsafe or unapproved products

ESA oversees the pre-market approval requirements for all electrical equipment and products covered under the Ontario Electrical Safety Code and offered for sale in Ontario. ESA is also responsible for overseeing the post-market safety of commercial and industrial products.

ESA plays an important role in managing the safety of electrical products. ESA responds to complaints about electrical products and reports of unsafe electrical products. We conduct safety reviews, issue safety alerts and notices, and provide information.

ESA works with other electrical safety partners, including the Federal government, other provincial electrical safety regulators, certification bodies and the electrical product supply chain (manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers).

Industry, certification bodies and inspection bodies support product safety reviews so ESA has the tools to address any issues with pre-market approval and post-market industrial and commercial products. ESA also has the authority to prevent the sale of unapproved or hazardous electrical products.

No, you do not have to report such incidents to ESA as of a regulation amendment on June 26, 2013. However, ESA continues to review voluntary reports of unapproved electrical products and incidents involving commercial and industrial products.