The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) has been accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) as a standards developing organization (SDO), confiding in the 92-year-old association the responsibility to develop, publish and maintain National Standards of Canada (NSC).

SCC approved IAPMO’s accreditation under the council’s Canadian Standards Development Program (CSD). SDOs are responsible for the development, publication and maintenance of NSCs, National Adoptions of Canada and Consensus SDO Standards.

“We are thrilled to add our specific expertise in developing standards for the Canadian market,” said IAPMO CEO GP Russ Chaney. “Since obtaining SCC accreditation to certify plumbing products almost 20 years ago, we are pleased to take this next big step by becoming an accredited SDO. IAPMO supports the harmonization of standards with the United States, Canada and Mexico as a mechanism to reduce non-tariff trade barriers. We are looking forward to furthering that goal.”

Headquartered in Ottawa, the SCC is a federal Crown corporation, mandated to promote efficient and effective standardization in Canada. It reports to the Parliament through the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and oversees Canada’s national standardization network.

IAPMO gained U.S. accreditation as an SDO through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the SCC’s American counterpart, in 1984, and in 2011 was granted Audited Designator status enabling the association to designate Amercian National Standards without receiving prior approval by the ANSI Board of Standards Review.

IAPMO Codes and Standards develops industry standards to govern plumbing, mechanical, solar, and recreational vehicle/manufactured housing products, as well as personnel qualifications standards that demonstrate an individual’s verifiable industry expertise.

Visit www.iapmo.org.