These standards provide the basis for product safety regulations. Conformity assessment bodies test and certify products to those standards. International agreements allow Canadian conformity assessment results to be accepted in foreign markets, and ensure that imported products meet Canadian requirements. Each standards development organization has primary responsibility for particular subject areas. That reduces duplication of effort, prevents the development of conflicting standards, and ensures that expertise and resources are used effectively.
Some committees work at both national and international levels.
That saves time and expense, and ensures consistency between Canadian and international standards. The NSS has procedures for consensus decision making by balanced committees. That ensures that Canada speaks with a single voice on international standards issues. By bringing order and coordination to a complex and diverse field, the NSS has made Canada a world leader in the development and application of standards.