Why Do Compliance Certifications Matter for Accessible Bathtubs?
As a company with “safety” in its name, it should come as no surprise that we take the safety of our products seriously. We want the safest possible outcome for people who use our accessible tubs and showers, so we hold our products to a high standard. This means we comply with all the necessary codes and standards needed to sell our products and we’re involved in voluntary standards associations, as well.
Common Compliance Certifications for Walk-in Tubs & What They Mean
Legally, all walk-in tubs need to be certified to pass home inspections, but the process of adding jetting components and add-ons is not included. If you buy a walk-in tub from a random salesperson and they add jetting options, this voids the original certification—but when you buy from us or from one of our certified dealers, the certifications remain valid.
We’re proud to tell you that Canadian professionals inspect and monitor our products as well as our processes for jetting and testing tubs. A lot of Canadian effort and labour goes into each of our products.
If you scroll near the bottom of our product pages, we name the certifications obtained for each product. Without background information though, it doesn’t mean much to the average reader. To help users understand each certification, we’ve given each one a brief description below, along with the appropriate links for further reading.
Here’s what we follow at Safety Bath.
Intertek
You probably recognize the Intertek logo from various appliances and products in your home (or anywhere). They’re a global company that tests, inspects, and certifies products. They work with an enormous range of industries spanning from health & beauty to building products to agriculture & much more.
cETL
Intertek has many different marks that indicate their different certifications. The walk-in tub certification you’ll want to see is cETL, the logo above.
Intertek was born from Thomas Edison’s legacy in inventions and testing. You may recall that Thomas Edison is the inventor of the light bulb; while it will always be known as a brilliant invention that advanced technology and way of life, what made his invention so successful was his rigorous testing methods. His competitors were not doing these tests and they experienced electrical hazards as a result. Edison made the value of safe and efficient product testing known.
This spurred Edison’s “Lamp Testing Bureau,” which then became “Electrical Testing Laboratories.” This is why many of Intertek’s certification marks say “ETL.”
Canadian Uniform Plumbing Code and the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials
IAPMO R&T certifies plumbing and mechanical products in North America. Their categories vary as well; however all stay within the plumbing and mechanical areas. For example, they certify ventilation fans and range hoods but also whirlpool bathtubs components.
cUPC/USPC – IAPMO
Products with the UPC® mark conform to American codes and standards, while products with the cUPC® mark comply with both American and Canadian codes and standards. Our walk-in tubs at Safety Bath have the cUPC® mark.
“IAPMO R&T Marks of Conformity are widely recognized and represent the highest degree of integrity in showing compliance with established codes and standards.”
— IAPMO R&T
American National Standards Institute
ANSI Z 124.1.2 – for Plastic Bathtubs
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private, non-profit organization. They “administer and coordinate the U.S. voluntary standards and conformity assessment system.” Their interest is in furthering business competition in the US and globally by “promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, and safeguarding their integrity.”
We follow ANSI Z 124.1.2 – for Plastic Bathtubs. This means we’ve exceeded the minimum performance requirements for plastic bathtubs and shower units.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
“The American Society of Mechanical Engineers promotes the art, science and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe.”
— ASME.org
ASME works with the global engineering community as a non-profit organization. They help professionals collaborate, share knowledge, and develop skills. Their codes and standards advance technical knowledge to promote safer products.
ASME A112.19.7 – Whirlpool Appliances
Safety Bath’s accessible tubs come with optional jetting components, so we adhere to ASME A112.19.7 – Whirlpool Appliances. These standards outline testing methods, markings, and suction fittings.
ASME A112.19.15 – for Walk in Bathtubs
We also follow ASME standards for the doors on our accessible bathtubs. We therefore follow ASME A112.19.15 – for Walk in Bathtubs.
“This Standard establishes material, mechanical, electrical, marking, and testing requirements for bathtubs/whirlpool bathtubs with doors that are made water tight by the use of a pressure seal.”
— ASME.org
CSA Group
CSA stands for Canadian Standards Organization, although they’re now a global organization.
“CSA Group is a global organization dedicated to safety, social good and sustainability. We are a leader in Standards Development and in Testing, Inspection and Certification around the world including Canada, the U.S., Europe and Asia. Our mandate is to hold the future to a higher standard.”
— csagroup.org
CSA B45.5 – Canadian Plumbing Fixtures
CSA Group develops standards in addition to offering testing, inspection, and certification. We follow CSA B45.5 – Canadian Plumbing Fixtures. This means our fittings and fixtures are tested for the appropriate standards.
We’re proud to say that our products are assembled, inspected, tested, and monitored here in Canada. If you have any further questions about the safety of our accessible bathtubs and showers, please give us a call at 1-888-346-1204.
