What is the CSA?
The CSA is an association for the commissioning industry within the construction world.
Its membership comprises commissioning industry companies, individual commissioning engineers and associated companies (such as equipment manufacturers, instrument suppliers, etc.), who have a vested interest in ensuring that the commissioning function in today's complex buildings is carried out to a uniformly high standard..

In addition, the CSA acts as both the voice and ears of the commissioning world, putting forward the views of it's Members in many spheres and also keeping its membership informed of developments in equipment, instrumentation and legislation which affect the way in which they operate.


Why the CSA?
The building services commissioning function has developed over the past 20 years, combining elements of design review, integration of electrical, mechanical & controls systems and trouble shooting, along with the traditional air & water balancing exercises.

This organic development, however, has not been matched by parallel development in engineering standards, training systems and information dissemination, despite valiant efforts by such august bodies as CIBSE and BSRIA. The result is that the commissioning function has become discredited by a combination of lack of knowledge, poorly structured training and varying approaches to the ideas of business ethics and best commissioning practice.

The Commissioning Specialists Association thus came into being to redress this situation. It is the only body in the UK aimed specifically at developing and improving the commissioning function to provide building users, consultant engineers main contractors and installation companies with a professional, quality service carried out by trained and experienced staff.


How does the CSA operate?
The CSA is based around four different types of membership:
•Corporate membership
is aimed at organisations whose main or only business is the commissioning of building services systems.
•Associate Membership
is aimed at organisations that are connected with the industry, but whose main business may be outside the pure commissioning activity, e.g. installation companies, equipment suppliers, instrumentation suppliers, consultant engineers, etc.
•Individual Membership
is aimed at those field engineers who are actively involved in the commissioning process. These may be from the mechanical, electrical or controls fields.
•Individual Associate Membership
This category was formed in 2003 to accommodate individuals who are not doing commissioning in the UK but are affiliated to commissioning through other trades, i.e. electrical, mechanical engineers etc. This membership will not be graded, but a Certificate of Membership will be issued and the Association's benefits afforded as with other categories.
The Association is run by a Main Committee, which delegates powers for the day to day affairs to a Management sub-committee and the Secretary. The members of the Main Committee are drawn from all four grades of membership to ensure that all parties have a voice in the running of The Association. There are sub committees for Training, Technical matters and Marketing.

Text source, www.csa.org.uk