TSSA Announces 2020 Legacy Safety Award Recipients

Markham District Energy (MDE) and Farrukh Siddiqi of
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) recognized for their safety leadership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Toronto, ON, October 22, 2020) – The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) presented its annual Legacy Safety Awards to Markham District Energy and Farrukh Siddiqi of Ontario Power Generation (OPG) during its virtual Annual General Meeting today. The award winners are featured in the TSSA’s 2020 Safety First Annual Report.

TSSA believes that making Ontario a safe place to live, work, and play is a shared responsibility. The annual TSSA Legacy Safety Awards Program recognizes individuals and organizations working in sectors regulated by the TSSA who have demonstrated leadership in making safety a priority in the workplace and have made significant contributions to public safety in Ontario.

“I am delighted to congratulate our 2020 Legacy Safety Award recipients, Markham District Energy and Farrukh Siddiqi from Ontario Power Generation, for their commitment and contributions to making Ontario a safe place to live, work and play,” says Bonnie Rose, President and CEO, TSSA. “I commend both award winners not only for their long-standing commitment to safety but also for their focus on the future, providing students and new graduates with critically important safety training as they enter the workforce.”

TSSA Organizational Legacy Safety Award - Markham District Energy

Owned by the City of Markham, Markham District Energy delivers heating and cooling to 45 buildings and 175 townhomes through a series of interconnected underground pipes. Local hospitals, schools, data centres, condominiums and hotels rely on Markham District Energy to deliver a continuous, reliable flow of energy, and the public that uses these facilities expect them to be safe places to visit.

With 24 full-time employees and a track record of 20 years with no injuries, at Markham District Energy safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Markham District Energy is committed to keeping its facilities and energy infrastructure safe, maintaining an internal safety culture consisting of safety training and continual vigilance, and contributing time to provide post-secondary students with safety training in preparation for work placements.

“Markham District Energy is truly committed to living their safety values and keeping both the citizens of Ontario and their employees safe,” says Ajay Raval, TSSA's Director of Boilers and Pressure Vessels & Operating Engineers Safety Program. “The organization and their staff are an excellent example of the leadership and safety directives that we are proud to highlight with our Legacy Safety Awards.”

TSSA’s Individual Legacy Safety Award - Farrukh Siddiqi of Ontario Power Generation (OPG)

Farrukh Siddiqi, Pressure Boundary and Pressure Vessel Specialist at Ontario Power Generation’s nuclear facility in Darlington, Ontario since 2002, is a subject matter expert and part of the team responsible for ensuring the facility’s 950 pressure vessels and thousands of pressure relief valves operate in compliance with relevant Canadian safety codes and standards.

In his role, Farrukh ensures that all equipment meets the requirements to pass TSSA inspections. With leadership from Farrukh, the Darlington plant has successfully achieved TSSA’s Pressure Boundary Certificate of Authorization six times since 2004.

Farrukh has also been a generous mentor when it comes to transferring his knowledge of pressure vessels and pressure boundaries to new graduates and co-op students. He believes it is important to start each day with a safety mindset – and to begin a career specializing in pressure boundaries with a solid foundation in safety best practices.

“Farrukh Siddiqi is a dedicated safety advocate,” says Raval “His commitment to education and innovation is an excellent example of the type of leadership we are proud to highlight with our Legacy Safety Awards.”

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, and enforcement and prosecution activities. The organization’s vision is to be a valued advocate and recognized authority in public safety.

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 Additional Resources:

• TSSA 2020 Safety First Annual Report
• Markham District Energy’s story and video
• Farrukh Siddiqi’s story and video
• TSSA’s Safety Awards Program and past recipients

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.