The CLSAB is the approval authority for grading rules and product standards prepared by the National Lumber Grades Authority (NLGA) and subsequently used by accredited Grading Agencies. Similarly, no subsequent updates or amendments may be made to these documents until they have been reviewed and shown to conform with or exceed the requirements of CLSAB, CSA 0141, and the National Grading Rule or other CLSAB–accepted rules, and have been approved by the CLSAB.

As well as approving the NLGA Grading Rules for Canadian Lumber, CLSAB has input into the various other rules, regulations, codes, standards, and guidelines affecting lumber grading, including:

• the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC), on which all Provincial Building Codes are based
• the Canadian Standards Association’s CAN/CSA-0141Softwood Lumber standard referenced in the NBCC
• the CSA 086 Engineering Design in Wood – Limit States Design, also referenced in the NBCC

The CLSAB also liaises with its counterpart in the United States, the American Lumber Standards Committee (ALSC). Many of the functions of that group mirror those of the CLSAB, although the authority of the committee is vested differently. For more information, see www.alsc.org.

Review of grading rules, product standards and codes is undertaken by CLSAB’s Operations Committee, which makes recommendations to the Board of Directors.