A new search tool, launching in early September on TSSA’s Client Portal, will make it easier for consultants and engineering firms to find their clients’ account numbers when submitting boiler and pressure vessel (BPV) design registrations.

To obtain a Canadian Registration Number for boilers, pressure vessels or piping, third-party submitters (such as consultants or engineering firms) must correctly link each design registration to the appropriate client or owner. This requires knowing the client’s account number ─ a detail that has sometimes been difficult to locate, leading to mis-linked applications, processing delays and extra administrative work.

To avoid linking design registrations to the incorrect client, the new search tool is designed to facilitate third-party submitters to look up a client’s account number using:

-  The client’s name
-  The client’s address, or
- The client’s previous Canadian Registration Number (or Piping Registration number, if applicable)

By making it easier to find the correct account number, this tool helps ensure that design registrations and engineering applications are properly linked to the right client from the start, reducing errors and avoiding unnecessary delays.
 
This news item was sent to BPV design registration submitters and BPV web subscribers.

TSSA is proposing an increase to the fees for Boiler and Pressure Vessel (BPV) Certificates of Inspection (COI) and is seeking feedback on this proposed change. More information about the change, including an online survey, is available here. 
 
In 2018, TSSA started introducing gradual fee increases across all the sectors it regulates after many years of no fee increases. TSSA has kept fee increases below the cumulative rate of inflation, and all the sectors that TSSA oversees are at cost recovery except the BPV COI program.
 
As a not-for-profit regulator, TSSA is required to ensure there are adequate financial resources to deliver its safety mandate and comply with the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000 (“the Act”). TSSA must recover all direct and indirect program costs from the industries it regulates. Ontario’s Auditor General found in 2018 that TSSA was not adequately meeting this obligation, which creates a fairness gap. Currently, the fees collected from the BPV COI program do not cover the costs of administering the program.
 
To eliminate the projected deficit and achieve cost recovery, the fees have been recalculated using an up-to-date BPV inventory count.
 
TSSA recommends implementing the proposed fees on January 2, 2026. Once the new fees have been finalized, clients will be notified 60 days prior to implementing the new fees.

TSSA has been transforming to an Outcome-Based Regulator and improving safety across Ontario. Over the last five years, there has been a decline in the number of serious injuries and fatalities in TSSA-regulated sectors. TSSA remains focused on delivering a better client experience while improving safety in Ontario.

Consultation closes August 29, 2025.

This news was shared with all TSSA customers.

Hyperbaric chambers are pressure vessels designed to provide oxygen therapy for patient care in medical facilities. As hyperbaric chambers are categorized as Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy (PVHO), they fall under the regulation of the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA).

The importance of hyperbaric chamber safety was highlighted by an incident in January 2025, when a hyperbaric chamber exploded in Detroit, Michigan. The explosion resulted in the immediate death of a five-year-old child who was undergoing treatment in the pressure vessel. 

To ensure the safety of hyperbaric chambers, TSSA conducts regulatory reviews and inspections on the following: 

Hyperbaric Chambers 

• Register Designs: Hyperbaric chamber designs must be registered with TSSA for review to ensure they comply with adopted safety codes and standards. Applicable codes and standards include CSA B51 Boiler, Pressure Vessel, and Pressure Piping Code, and ASME PVHO-1 Safety Standard for Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy. Each hyperbaric chamber must have a nameplate stamped with a Canadian Registration Number (CRN). 
   
• Manufacturing Quality Standards: TSSA conducts manufacturing inspections of hyperbaric chambers manufactured in Ontario. Ontario manufacturers are audited by TSSA and issued a certificate indicating their quality systems and process are compliant with the codes and standards. 
   
• Undergo a First Installation Inspection: Before a hyperbaric chamber can be used for patient care in Ontario, it must undergo a first installation inspection by TSSA to ensure the installation is compliant. If a hyperbaric chamber passes the first installation inspection, a unique identification number is assigned, and a Certificate of Inspection (COI) issued allowing the hyperbaric chamber to be put into service. 
   
• Display COIs Prominently: COIs must be posted on or near hyperbaric chambers, or a notification in lieu of posting the COI which clearly indicates the alternate storage location for the COIs. COIs indicate that a device has been inspected and can be safely operated. As such, they shall be available for viewing at all times.  
   
• Periodic Inspections for Pressure Vessels Fitted with Quick Openings: PVHOs that can open and close quickly for repeated internal access are classified as Pressure Vessels Fitted with Quick Opening Doors. These vessels undergo an annual periodic inspection by either TSSA or the insurance company’s inspector to assess their continued safe operation and to renew their COI. 

Medical Gas Piping

• Cryogenic Pressure Vessels are also Regulated: Cryogenic pressure vessels that supply oxygen to hyperbaric chambers also require a CRN and a COI.
• Register Designs of Medical Gas Piping: TSSA regulates the design and installation of medical gas piping. Since piping designs are unique to each location, they must be registered and reviewed by TSSA engineers.
• Installation by Certified Contractors: Only contractors with a valid Certificate of Authorization (COA) from TSSA are allowed to install and commission medical piping systems. TSSA regularly inspects and audits contractors with a COA.
• Post-Installation Inspection by Certified Inspectors: All registered medical gas piping is inspected by certified inspectors during the commissioning process. 

Hyperbaric chambers must be built using designs and systems compliant with well-established codes and standards and manufactured in facilities with quality control systems. Additionally, hyperbaric chambers must be installed by a competent contractor and inspected periodically to ensure they are maintained and can operate safely.   

For more information on registering hyperbaric chamber designs, please send an email to bpv_inquiries@tssa.org.