ACCSAM
Association of Canadian Chainsaw Safety Apparel Manufacturers
About Us
We would like to take this opportunity to introduce our organization ACCSAM and to advise you that the current standards for chainsaw safety apparel {e.g. chaps and pants leg protective devices} in Canada are being updated to ASTM International versions of the original CAN/BNQ 1923-450-M91. We are informing all provincial work place safety organizations, distributors and end users so that they recognize these updated Canadian standards for use when evaluating and measuring minimum requirements for protection in pants and chap. These updated standards offer the leg protection required for safe operation by users of chainsaws and are equal to what was in the original documents/standard of the CAN/BNQ 1923-450-M91. Please note that the ASTM International Standards that were written to replace the old CAN/BNQ 1923-450-M91 have all same parameters of the original requirements and have been implemented in the new ASTM international versions of the standards documents, furthermore the Threshold stopping speed has not changed or increased. Also any garments that still have the CAN/BNQ 1923-450-M91 reference on the Underwriters labels in inventory or in the field are still recognized as acceptable and safe products to use as per the manufacturers recommendations. These ASTM standards are confirmed and maintained by regular testing of ACCSAM member’s product, by Underwriters Laboratories in Raleigh NC. This involves inspections at production facilities and a yearly recertification.
As background, we {ACCSAM} were informed in late 2016 by the CNESST { Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail }, that the archived CAN/BNQ 1923-450-M91 standards would no longer be accepted in Quebec. The members listed below under the guidance of the CNESST created new standards documents through ASTM International by adopting the CAN/BNQ 1923-450-M91 archived test methodology and performance requirements for Chainsaw Leg Protective devices to create the ASTM standards F3324 Test Method and F3325 Performance Requirement.
The first meeting of ACCSAM took place in Quebec City on June 26, 2017 at the offices of CNNEST. Present at that meeting were, Murray Gilfix and Darko Gorenc of Modern Headwear/Pro-safety, Julius Karim of Big K Clothing, Ted Storozum of Tek-Knit Industries and Martine Vieulleux of Natpro Inc. Clay Grandy of Ago Inc. was invited but was unable to attend.
ACCSAM was incorporated as a Canadian Not-for-profit on July 7, 2017. The above are the charter members of ACCSAM. Also present at the meeting was Christen Fortin of CNNEST.
Explaining further, Underwriters Labs will be the certifying laboratory and also inspection firm; they will now use ASTM F3324 and F3325 standards instead of the old CAN/BNQ 1923-450-M91 archived documents. ASTM being the SDO {Standards Development Organization} will now carry forward the maintenance of F3324 and F3325 through the ASTM Chainsaw Protection Task Group F23, in which all ACCSAM members participate. This future proofing allows the review process to happen every 5 years where the old CAN/BNQ 1923-450-M91 standards were already archived for over 15 years without a review.
Our Mission
To protect the safety of Canadian chainsaw users by informing and participating in all federal, provincial, municipal and industry driven regulatory groups on chainsaw leg protective device standards. To participate in the creation of the new Canadian chainsaw leg protection standards and testing protocols used to measure conformity and to review the technical specifications.
At our meeting on December 4, 2019 in Vancouver BC the members of ACCSAM were unanimous in that our organization would advise all provincial standards regulators and legislators in Canada that we will be manufacturing Chainsaw Safety Leg protective devices under the new ASTM * F3324 and **F3325 standards as explained in above statements of this letter. All of us that manufacture will be introducing this throughout 2020 as Underwriters Labs finishes the recertification process for each us.
Also, all the membership of ACCSAM agreed to police protective goods produced in North America and ones imported from overseas; reporting to Work Place and Safety authorities in the respective provinces any unsafe or unregulated products such as calf wrap chaps, pants, and aprons.
We would like to thank you for your time in reviewing this information. Any questions regarding these standards and protective devices such as pants and chaps can be made directly to ACCSAM main contact office.
It would be our pleasure to assist you in your inquiries about these Chainsaw Protective Apparel standards in Canada.
Sincere Regards,
ACCSAM Chairman – Murray Gilfix
Our Members
Big K Clothing
1220 East 2nd Avenue
Vancouver, BC
V6A 4A2
Phone: 604-688-3031
Toll Free: 1-877-688-3031
Contact Name: Julius Karim
Natpro Inc.
20 St. Gerard St.
Saint–Stanislas, QC G0X 3E0
Phone: 418-328-8183
Contact Name: Marie Claude Guilbert
Ago Industries
500 Sovereign Rd.
London, ON N6M 1A4
Phone: 519-452-3780
Contact Name: Clay Grandy
Modern Headwear Ltd.
421 Mulvey Ave East.
Winnipeg, MB R3L 0R6
Phone: 204-957-0400
Contact Name: Murray Gilfix
Tek Knit Industries
5780 Royalmount
Town Of Mount Royal, QC H4P 1K5
Phone: 514-344-7255
Contact Name: Ted Storozum
Contact Us Today
ACCSAM Office Contact Information:
Chair of ACCSAM
Murray Gilfix
Cell: 204-955-5549
Technical Advisor ACCSAM
& ASTM International Chainsaw Task Group Chairman
Darko Gorenc
Cell: 204-227-1491
Correspondence Office
421 Mulvey Ave East
Winnipeg, MB R3L 0R6