A standards organization develops a standard for product safety or performance.

A product manufacturer makes the product to meet applicable standards, and arranges for product approval.

A testing and certification organization tests a prototype of the product to ensure that it meets the applicable standards, and authorizes the use of its product certification mark. Production facilities are inspected regularly to ensure that they continue to comply with the standards.

Standards organizations work with interested parties-including industry representatives, consumers, and regulatory bodies-to define the requirements for a type of product. They then publish these requirements in a standard. Some standards are adopted in legislation and become mandatory; others are voluntary. (See FAQs about standards.)

Product manufacturers use standards to help them design and produce safer, more reliable products that will be accepted in the marketplace and will meet regulatory requirements. To show that a product meets the applicable standards, the manufacturer arranges for it to be tested and certified by an accredited testing organization.

Product testing and certification organizations may or may not be government agencies, but they are regulated. Only accredited organizations can certify products to national standards. In the U.S., these organizations are accredited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); in Canada they are accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). (See FAQs about testing and certification.)