The Western University Power Plant team and Brandon Irwin of Osler Bluff Ski Club recognized for their exceptional contributions to Ontario’s safety
Toronto, ON, September 21, 2023 – Today at its annual public meeting, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) presented this year’s Safety Awards to the Western University Power Plant team and Brandon Irwin of Osler Bluff Ski Club.
TSSA’s annual Safety Awards is a nomination-based program that honours individuals and organizations working in sectors regulated by TSSA that have made significant contributions to public safety in Ontario.
“Within our regulated industries, many dedicated professionals work tirelessly and creatively to create a safer Ontario and we are delighted to celebrate the safety champions who have demonstrated remarkable commitment and leadership,” said Bonnie Rose, President and CEO of TSSA. “Congratulations to the deserving winners of this year’s Safety Awards, Western University’s Power Plant team and Brandon Irwin, whose inspirational stories exemplify what it means to go above and beyond in the name of safety.”
Nominations are accepted for two award categories: the Impact Award, recognizing significant contributions, initiatives, or projects that demonstrate safety excellence or exceed regulatory compliance; and the Legacy Award, acknowledging sustained safety conscientiousness demonstrated by individuals or organizations.
TSSA Legacy Safety Award Recipient: The Western University Power Plant team
The 15-strong Power Plant team at Western University manages a central power plant that supports diverse buildings across the campus. The winning team has maintained an impeccable record of zero lost-time incidents for 20 years, an outstanding achievement considering how expansive their operations are.
A profound sense of caring for people motivates the team to work hard and innovate to make workplace safety a priority. A notable innovation is the introduction of a ‘working alone’ program, which leverages technology and automation to improve safety for lone workers. The program requires these workers to acknowledge a system alarm every hour; in the event of a miss, the system automatically alerts the designated team to perform a wellness check on the operator.
“The Western University Power Plant team demonstrates a relentless pursuit of safety excellence and innovation that merits recognition,” said Kim Semper, Director of Boilers, Pressure Vessels and Operating Engineers, TSSA. “Their teamwork and culture represent what it means to put people first.”
Watch this video of the Western University Power Plant team or read the story here.
TSSA Impact Safety Award Recipient: Brandon Irwin of Osler Bluff Ski Club
In his role as a Lift Operator at Osler Bluff Ski Club in Blue Mountains for the 2022-2023 ski season, Brandon Irwin’s unwavering focus on customer care and safety became vital when a 76-year-old passenger suffered a stroke while on the chairlift. Thanks to Brandon’s prompt action, the passenger was quickly transported to hospital for an emergency surgery and subsequently made a successful recovery.
The entire process, from Brandon’s initial call to the transfer to Emergency Medical Services (EMS), took only 21 minutes. In emergencies like this, time is of the essence, and Brandon’s focus on passenger safety, along with his quick thinking and acting, delivered a life-saving outcome.
“Brandon’s remarkable dedication to safety has saved a life, which underscores the importance of a safety-first mindset,” said AJ Kadirgamar, Director of Elevating and Amusement Devices, TSSA. “We’re privileged to have him as a role model in our safety community.”
Watch this video of Brandon Irwin or read his story here.
About TSSA
Throughout Ontario, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) administers provincial safety regulations and enhances public safety. TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services include public education, authorization, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, compliance support, enforcement, and prosecution activities.
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For more information, please contact:
Alexandra Campbell
Vice President, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Telephone: 416-734-6227
email:media@tssa.org
For more information on the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, please visit www.tssa.org.
April 14, 2023 — The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) actively solicits the advice of key stakeholders from the industries it regulates through several industry advisory councils. These councils work with TSSA in support of safety strategies and provide valuable input to help inform TSSA’s decision-making and operations.
Several advisory councils are seeking applications for individuals to represent key stakeholder groups.
Current vacancies:
Boilers & Pressure Vessels & Operating Engineers Advisory Council
Insurers
Manufacturers
Owners/Management – Power Generators
Owners/Management – Private Industries
Utilities/Distribution (Large)
Utilities/Distribution (CNG or LNG or hydrogen or RNG)
Association
Manufacturer/Designer
Amusement Devices Advisory Council
Owners/Operators – Go Karts
Owners/Operators – Camps
Mechanics
Elevating Devices Advisory Council
Manufacturers and Contractors (Owner-Contractor/Institutions)
For more information, visit the TSSA website to access Council Terms of Reference, and information about each advisory council, including the minutes of past meetings. https://www.tssa.org/en/about-tssa/advisory-councils.aspx
If you are interested in applying for one of the vacant Council Member positions, please submit a short letter of interest outlining your experience and ability to represent your industry, together with a resume/CV by May 15, 2023, to tssaadvisorycouncil@tssa.org.
Annual awards return to honour leaders in public safety
March 30, 2023 - The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is now accepting nominations for its 2023 Safety Awards honouring Ontario leaders in public safety.
TSSA presents Safety Awards every year to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to Ontario’s public safety in TSSA’s regulated sectors: Fuels; Boilers and Pressure Vessels and Operating Engineers; Elevating and Amusement Devices and Ski Lifts.
The 2023 Safety Awards recipients will be announced at TSSA’s annual public meeting on September 21, 2023. Organizations or individuals can be nominated in two award categories recognizing acts and initiatives that enhance public safety for Ontarians:
- Impact Awards highlight significant contributions to safety or a significant initiative or project that go above and beyond regulatory compliance.
- Legacy Awards recognize the impact over time for persons or organizations that have demonstrated a history of safety conscientiousness.
The following were recipients of TSSA’s Safety Awards in 2022:
- Dave Little, Atura Power — Brighton Beach Generating Station Chief Operating Engineer
Individual Legacy Safety Award Recipient
As Chief Operating Engineer at Atura Power’s Brighton Beach Generating Station, Dave Little ensures the safe and reliable operation of a power plant, working with the operators, maintenance team, contractors and TSSA to make sure all the plant’s regulatory obligations are met.
- Rick Hicks, Delta Elevator, Training and Development Supervisor
Individual Legacy Safety Award Recipient
Rick began his career at Delta Elevator 30 years ago as an apprentice. He rose through the ranks, assuming such roles as Crew Leader and Field Operations Supervisor of the GTA branch, before becoming the organization’s Training and Development Supervisor in 2013. Rick is now a mentor to young workers whose shoes he was in three decades ago.
Bonnie Rose, President and CEO of TSSA, says recognizing safety leadership is an important part of the public safety regulator’s work to promote awareness of and encourage best practices.
“TSSA recognizes the positive impact individuals and organizations can have on their industry and the community,” says Rose. “TSSA’s annual Safety Awards is an important platform to highlight the important efforts of those who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make Ontario a safer place.”
Nominations of individuals and organizations working in TSSA’s regulated sectors will be accepted until June 2, 2023. Online nomination forms can be accessed at TSSA’s website.
About TSSA
Throughout Ontario, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) enforces provincial safety regulations and enhances public safety. TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services includes public education, certification, licensing and registration, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, safety management consultation, compliance support, enforcement, and prosecution activities.
TSSA Recognized for Continued Commitment to Strong Safety Culture
(March 20, 2023) – The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) has been honoured by Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) magazine with a 5-Star Safety Cultures Award for the second consecutive year. This award recognizes Canadian organizations that consistently promote a culture of safety by implementing programs and taking actions to ensure healthy and safe working environments.
“TSSA doesn’t just have a strong internal safety culture, but it also helps organizations across Ontario create their own resilient safety cultures, while holding them to the highest safety standards within the industries it oversees,” said Shane Mercer, Senior Journalist, COS magazine. “I applaud TSSA for its commitment to ensuring safety within its own organization and several sectors of the Canadian economy, as well as its passion to protect the people who work in them.”
After being identified as a nominee by COS magazine, TSSA was shortlisted as a finalist for the award following the completion of an in-depth submission detailing TSSA’s internal safety programs. In the second qualifying round, a sample of TSSA employees completed a safety culture satisfaction survey and gave TSSA an overall satisfaction rating of more than 75 per cent.
“Day in and day out, TSSA employees make every effort to fulfill our organization’s purpose to enhance safety where Ontarians live, work and play – safety comes first in all that we do,” said Bonnie Rose, President and CEO, TSSA. “TSSA’s Executive Leadership Team is proud to see the organization recognized in such a meaningful way and grateful to our employees who are passionate about safety, live our values, and have made receiving this award possible.”
Since 2018, TSSA has been undergoing a complete organizational transformation to become a more modern Outcome-Based Regulator that relies on data to understand risk and drive decision-making and takes a risk-informed approach to safety oversight. Enhancing TSSA’s internal safety culture has been essential to the organization realizing its transformation.
Rose shares more about TSSA’s safety culture in a COS feature article highlighting the award winners.
About TSSA
Throughout Ontario, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) enforces provincial safety regulations and enhances public safety. TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services include public education, certification, licensing and registration, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, safety management consultation, compliance support, enforcement, and prosecution activities.
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For more information, please contact:
Alexandra Campbell
Vice President, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Telephone: 416-734-6227
Email: media@tssa.org
For more information on the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, please visit www.tssa.org.
Dave Little and Rick Hicks recognized for their safety leadership
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) presented the Legacy Safety Awards to Dave Little of Atura Power — Brighton Beach Generating Station and Rick Hicks of Delta Elevator in recognition of their safety leadership.
The annual TSSA Safety Awards is a nomination-based program that recognizes individuals and organizations working in sectors overseen by TSSA and have made significant contributions to public safety in Ontario.
“I am pleased to honour 2022’s Legacy Safety Award recipients, Dave Little and Rick Hicks, for their leadership and dedication to making safety a priority in the workplace,” says Bonnie Rose, President and CEO of TSSA. “TSSA recognizes the positive impact an individual can have on an organization, industry and community. The efforts of these two individuals to continuously go above and beyond to improve workplace practices are making a difference for a safer Ontario.”
TSSA Individual Legacy Safety Award Recipient – Dave Little
As Chief Operating Engineer at Atura Power’s Brighton Beach Generating Station, Dave Little ensures the safe and reliable operation of a power plant, working with the operators, maintenance team, contractors and TSSA to make sure all the plant’s regulatory obligations are met.
Dave, who joined the organization in 2003 and progressed steadily to his current role in 2014, has been credited with tireless efforts to ensure proper work practices are in place at Brighton Beach Generating Station. This includes having a formal process for ‘Lockout Tagout’ — a critical safety procedure in a power plant — and volunteering to lead an effort to consolidate the various safety processes between all the stations within his organization.
He has also made an indelible impact on the organization’s safety culture as management co-chair on the Brighton Beach Generating Station Joint Health and Safety Committee and is a member of the Joint Health and Safety Committee of Atura Power, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation that owns Brighton Beach Generating Station.
“Dave Little has made significant contributions to safety in the Operating Engineer profession, his plant and Ontario,” says Ajay Raval, Director of Boilers, Pressure Vessels and Operating Engineers with TSSA. “This award honours his dedication and tireless efforts to influencing safe work behaviours in this generation and the next.”
Watch a video of Dave Little or read his story here.
TSSA Individual Legacy Safety Award Recipient – Rick Hicks
Rick began his career at Delta Elevator 30 years ago as an apprentice. He rose through the ranks, assuming such roles as Crew Leader and Field Operations Supervisor of the GTA branch, before becoming the organization’s Training and Development Supervisor in 2013.
Now a mentor to young workers whose shoes he was in three decades ago, Rick assesses more than 50 apprentices and oversees their tracking of hours, schooling, and education units, as well as the individual training for all Elevating Devices Mechanic Trainee (EDM-T, a TSSA certification) required safety education.
Establishing safety protocols above and beyond industry standards, Rick has created hundreds of hours of curriculum and procedures to ensure up-to-date and effective training for both apprentices and mechanics at Delta Elevator. He works one-on-one in the field with mechanics to improve their operational aptitude and provides skills- and safety-focused training that gets webcast to more than 170 workers across Delta Elevator’s five branches.
“Whether imparting his knowledge to prepare future elevator mechanics to be safety proponents in the field or lending his expertise to developing training standards and certification policies, Rick Hicks has demonstrated a strong passion and longstanding commitment to furthering safety standards in the elevating industry and TSSA is pleased to recognize him with this award,” says Roger Neate, Director of Elevating and Amusement Devices.
Watch a video of Rick Hicks or read his story here.
About TSSA
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is one of Ontario’s public safety regulators mandated by the Government of Ontario to enforce provincial safety regulations and enhance public safety. Throughout Ontario, TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services includes public education and consumer information, certification, licensing and registration, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, safety management consultation, compliance support and enforcement and prosecution activities. The organization’s vision is to be a valued advocate and recognized authority in public safety.
For more information, please contact:
Alexandra Campbell
Vice President, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Telephone: 416-734-6227
email:media@tssa.org
For more information on the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, please visit www.tssa.org.
(Toronto, ON, March 22, 2022) – Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is pleased to announce that it is one of 21 companies being honoured by Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) magazine with a 2022 5-Star Safety Cultures Award. This award shines a spotlight on organizations that have proven their commitment to a strong safety culture time and time again.
“TSSA has engrained safety in every aspect of its business culture,” said Maïa Foulis, Editor, COS magazine. “I commend the organization for its efforts to ensure that all of its employees – at every level – understand the importance of safe behaviours.”
After being identified as a nominee by COS magazine, TSSA was shortlisted as a finalist for the award following the completion of an in-depth submission detailing TSSA’s safety programs initiated in the past year. In the second qualifying round, a random group of TSSA employees completed a safety culture satisfaction survey and gave TSSA an overall satisfaction rating of more than 80 per cent.
“TSSA’s Executive Leadership Team takes great pride in the knowledge that TSSA employees view themselves and the organization as Canadian safety leaders and innovators,” said Bonnie Rose, President and CEO, TSSA. “Being recognized as a 5-Star Safety Cultures Award winner validates the efforts we have made to establish a culture of leadership, accountability and teamwork throughout our organization.”
Since 2018, TSSA has been undergoing a complete organizational transformation to become a more modern Outcome-Based Regulator that relies on data to understand risk and drive decision-making and takes a risk-informed approach to safety oversight. Enhancing TSSA’s internal safety culture has been essential to the organization realizing its transformation.
Rose shares more about TSSA’s safety culture and what the Canadian safety landscape looks like in 2022 in a COS feature article highlighting the award winners.
About TSSA
Throughout Ontario, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) enforces provincial safety regulations and enhances public safety. TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services include public education, certification, licensing and registration, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, safety management consultation, compliance support, enforcement, and prosecution activities.
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For more information, please contact:
Alexandra Campbell
Vice President, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Telephone: 416-734-6227
Email: media@tssa.org
For more information on the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, please visit www.tssa.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Toronto, ON, May 3, 2021) – The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is pleased to announce that TSSA President and CEO Bonnie Rose has been honoured as one of Canada’s Top Women in Safety by Canadian Occupational Safety (COS) magazine. Rose was selected as one of 40 of the occupational health and safety sector’s most trailblazing women leaders in Canada, based on a vote from readers and editors of the publication.
“Ms. Rose has done remarkable work leading TSSA through a transformation into a modern, outcome-based regulator that relies on data and risk-based decision making to create a safer environment for Ontarians,” said RJ. Falconi, chair of TSSA’s Board of Directors. “Under Ms. Rose’s leadership, TSSA is transforming its delivery of critical public safety programs in the province.”
Lisa Thompson, Minister of Government and Consumer Services noted that “This recognition of Bonnie Rose is well deserved. In her leadership role at TSSA, she has ensured the organization has embraced the importance of customer service and as a result, there has been an impressive improvement in the delivery of existing safety programs and implementation of new innovative programs over the last two years, like the recently announced oil and gas pipelines oversight program.”
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done at TSSA to become a more progressive, responsive and collaborative organization that empowers people and supports them in promoting the reduction of harm and risk through guidance and education,” said Rose.
Rose’s efforts to enhance safety in Ontario and foster a collaborative working culture are profiled in a COS Top Women in Safety 2021 special report.
About TSSA
Throughout Ontario, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) enforces provincial safety regulations and enhances public safety. TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services include public education, certification, licensing and registration, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, safety management consultation, compliance support, enforcement and prosecution activities.
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For more information, please contact:
Alexandra Campbell
Vice President, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Telephone: 416-734-6227
Email: media@tssa.org
For more information on the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, please visit www.tssa.org.