Transport Canada ensures air, marine, rail and road safety, as well as the safe transportation of dangerous goods. Transport Canada develops and enforces safety regulations and standards; tests and promotes safety technologies.  Micom offers test services related to Transport Canada’s regulatory and compliance requirements including Dangerous Products Package Testing both for boxes and intermediate bulk containers, baby car seats for flammability resistance and compression resistance.

The Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) is a federal government organization that offers client-centered standards development and compliance assessment services in support of the Government, industry and citizens of Canada.   CGSB offers a wide range of standards.   Micom’s experts sit on many CGSB standards writing committees and offers CGSB testing services for compliance purposes.

GSA, Government Supply Administration, is the US equivalent of PWGSC for Canada, only much larger. Among other goods and services GSA administers procurement activities for the US Government under its “Schedule 71”.  GSA is known to be the largest single public purchaser of office furniture in the free world.  Micom offers the furniture industry all of the BIFMA compliance testing services necessary so that a manufacturer can sell GSA its furniture products.

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) is an important procurement arm of the Government of Canada.  Micom is involved with PWGSC as technical experts.  Furthermore PWGSC, for its office furniture acquisition process, requires bidders to establish their product compliance to Canada’s national standards for the following product categories:

• Office Seating Testing
• Desk Products Testing
• Storage Cabinets Testing
• Panel Systems Testing
• Lounge Seating Testing

The first four categories shown above are covered by a national standard under the hospices of the Canadian General Standards Board.

Not all compliance testing is for Governments either; many of our customers have to prove to their own customers their products meet their specific performance requirements.  Indeed, this is particularly true if you are a supplier to large manufacturers such as in the automotive or aerospace industry.  It is important for us to be aware of this as for test plan preparation it changes our approach.  Indeed, if a customer requests a test for a given product and our experts feel this is not the best test to do; we will make a point to bring the issue to our customer’s attention.  Should our customers be opened to discuss our concern we will be happy to make recommendations.  Of course, if they are in a compliance scheme; we have to be careful about changing a test plan.  In either case, as part of our ISO 17025 accreditation, we are always careful to ensure our customers understand the test plan subtleties so that they really get the best possible test plan for their needs.