Effective July 1, 2021, all boilers, pressure vessels (BPVs), fittings and piping used for agricultural purposes must comply with the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000’s Ontario Regulation 220/01: Boilers and Pressure Vessels and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) B51:19 Boiler, Pressure Vessel and Pressure Piping Code.
The lifting of the regulatory exemption that was previously in place for agricultural BPVs is an important safety milestone in Ontario. The exemption was revoked due to growing safety concerns that were also highlighted by the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario in her 2018 report.
The information below explains what owners, operators and insurers of BPVs, fittings and piping used for agricultural purposes need to do to comply with safety laws:
- The April 29 news bulletin and infographic outline the regulatory requirements for newly installed boilers and pressure equipment used for agricultural purposes that fall within the O. Reg. 220/01, including the types of devices that will be regulated and examples of equipment that are excluded from regulation.
Click here to download the infographic
- The June 4 news bulletin explains the requirements for existing, unregistered agricultural BPVs that need repair, alteration, upgrading and/or replacement starting July 1.
- The June 30 news bulletin shares the link to the online Equipment Reporting Form for owners and operators to report existing agricultural BPVs.
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The July 5 news bulletin delineates the reporting process and the inspection roles of TSSA versus insurers of agricultural BPV equipment.
- The September 15 news bulletin reminds all owners and operators of agricultural operations to report their existing BPV equipment (installed before July 1, 2021).
- The October 7 news bulletin releases an Information Order requiring owners and operators of agricultural BPVs to report existing equipment by November 30, 2021.
- The November 15 news bulletin reminds all owners and operators to report Agricultural Boilers and Pressure Vessels by November 30, 2021.
- Frequently Asked Questions provide additional information on the revocation of the agricultural exemption on BPVs used for agricultural equipment, as well as detail about regulatory requirements.
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Educational Resources clarify the responsibilities and compliance requirements of owners and operators of regulated agricultural BPVs.
- These checklists offer agricultural owners and operators guidance on what inspectors will look for when assessing agricultural BPV equipment.
Note: There are no changes to Operating Engineering practices.
TSSA's plan, which will be phased in over five years, is to bring into compliance all existing BPVs used for agricultural purposes that fall under the regulation as of July 1, 2021. The plan includes registering existing equipment through an online form which can also be downloaded here.
Owners and operators of agricultural operations should report their BPV equipment to TSSA by completing the form. TSSA will use the information collected through the form to do a risk-based assessment and establish a priority list for scheduling inspections based on the type of device, its location and whether it is covered by insurance.
We will continue to work with agricultural partners to implement the new regulatory requirements and make sure that owners, operators and insurers of agricultural pressure equipment understand the safety regulations and what they need to do to comply.
It is important to keep in mind that every owner of a device is responsible for maintaining and operating their pressure equipment safely and immediately reporting to the TSSA any incidents that cause injury, death or property damage.
For more information on TSSA’s BPV regulatory requirements, please visit Agricultural Operations – Boilers and Pressure Equipment. Questions may be directed to: agriculture.bpv@tssa.org.
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