BPV Certificate of Inspection

Attention all BPV Owners/Operators:

As of July 1, 2018, there is a new process to obtain a Certificate of Inspection (COI) for your boiler and pressure vessels. To obtain your COI, please follow these instructions:

How To Obtain a BPV-COI

To set up your Certificate of Inspection (COI) account, if you haven't done so already, please complete the Application for a Boiler/Pressure Vessel Certificate of Inspection Account, and forward the completed application form to bpv_inquiries@tssa.org.

Application for a Boiler/Pressure Vessel Certificate of Inspection Account

You do not have to start over or renew all of your COIs all at once - the schedule for renewals remains the same. Learn when to renew in our FAQ's.

Insurers can access the BPV-COI portal here:

BPV-COI Portal

What is Changing and Why?

Boilers and pressure vessels (BPVs) are used in a variety of industries in Ontario, including power generation, manufacturing, petro/chemical, agriculture, food processing, forestry and dry cleaning operations among others. BPVs are also used to provide refrigeration and heating services for buildings and institutions throughout the province including multi-unit residential buildings such as apartments and condominiums, commercial buildings such as malls and office space, hospitals, retirement homes, schools and institutions of higher learning, to name a few.

Unsafe installation and operation of BPVs can lead to incidents of equipment failure such as leakage and/or rupture, and to potential health and safety hazards include poisonings, suffocations, fires and explosions. Depending on the scale, such incidents may lead to fatality, permanent injury, and/or considerable property damage.

Ontario has introduced amendments to Ontario’s Boilers and Pressure Vessels Regulation (O. Reg. 220/01) under the Technical Standards and Safety Act (TSSA), 2000 that will enhance public safety. The regulatory amendments, particularly the requirement to secure a Certificate of Inspection, will keep Ontario residents safe by ensuring BPVs are designed safely and installed, operated and maintained in accordance with Ontario’s BPV Regulation and its applicable codes and standards. Moreover, the amendments will enable TSSA to keep a database of all regulated BPVs, including their location and safety status, track safety incidents and share timely safety information with the public.

The new process will require BPV owners to work directly with TSSA - a change that TSSA looks forward to in that it will allow both TSSA and BPV owners to build new, fruitful relationships. The amendments to Ontario’s Boilers and Pressure Vessels Regulation (O. Reg. 220/01) under the Technical Standards and Safety Act (TSSA) are as follows and will come into effect on July 1, 2018.

TSSA will directly issue a certificate of inspection (COI) to owners of all BPV equipment. The COI will be issued as authorization to legally operate after a passed periodic inspection and submission of a Record of Inspection (ROI) to TSSA.
Owners of boilers and pressure vessels will pay a COI fee to TSSA.
TSSA will maintain a database of device-specific periodic inspection information from both insurer and TSSA inspectors.
TSSA will implement an audit and attestation program to provide oversight of periodic inspections conducted by insurers.

The amendments are an outcome of proposals contained in a comprehensive industry round table report, released in August 2016 by a 14-member panel of BPV industry stakeholders with representation from insurance companies, third-party inspection providers, and owners and manufacturers of BPV equipment. The panel was constituted by the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (MGCS) in collaboration with TSSA. The full panel report can be found on the Ontario Regulatory Registry.

These changes will include a change to the process which BPV owners will secure Certificates of Inspection for their device(s).

For more information on these amendments, visit https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/010220 or email consultations@tssa.org.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. What are the major changes in the amended Boilers and Pressure Vessels Regulation?

A. The major changes to the regulation include the following:

To legally operate, owners of BPV devices require a Certificate of Inspection (COI) for each device owned
TSSA will directly issue the COI as legal authorization to operate a BPV after the device has passed a periodic inspection and a Record of Inspection (ROI) submitted by the inspector.
Owners of BPV devices will pay a fee for the Inspection (COI)
Insurers of BPV equipment are subject to a triennial regulatory and code compliance audit

Q. Who is affected by this change?

A. The changes apply to the following groups of stakeholders

Individuals and businesses who own boilers and pressure vessels regulated under the Boilers and Pressure Vessels Regulation
Insurers licensed to underwrite boilers and pressure vessel equipment
Third-party inspection providers

Q. When do the changes take effect?

A. July 1, 2018

Q. What is a Certificate of Inspection (COI)?

A. A Certificate of Inspection is a document issued to an owner of a BPV device after a passed periodic inspection, authorizing them to legally operate the device. A new process around how device owners receive your COI will be coming into effect on July 1, 2018.

Q. Who requires a Certificate of Inspection?

A. Individuals and businesses who own boilers and pressure vessels regulated under the Boilers and Pressure Vessels Regulation.

Q. Is there a fee for the Certificate of Inspection?

A. Yes. There is a fee attached to the COI which will be paid to TSSA by device owners.
Click here to review the approved fees

Q. Who will issue my Certificate of Inspection?

A. The Certificate of Inspection is issued by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority.

Q. What is a Record of Inspection (ROI)?

A. A Record of Inspection is a document submitted to TSSA by an inspector/insurer after a passed periodic inspection.

Q. When will my BPV device require a COI?

A. Every owner of a boiler or pressure vessel must ensure periodic inspections are performed according with the requirements included in the BPV Code Adoption Document (CAD). After July 1, 2018, all regulated BPVs will require a COI after a passed periodic inspection and for all subsequent periodic inspections.

Q. What is the validity period of a Certificate of Inspection?

A. The COI is valid for a period that coincides with the inspection cycle of a BPV device. BPV devices have inspection cycles that range from 12 to 36 months. For example, if your BPV device is inspected every 24 months, then your COI will be valid for 24 months from the day it was issued.

Q. How are these changes different from the current process?

A. Currently, owners and insurers of BPV equipment have treated the Record of Inspection (ROI) issued after a passed periodic inspection as authorization to legally operate. In the amended regulation, TSSA will directly issue the COI as legal authorization to operate a BPV after the device has passed a periodic inspection and an ROI submitted by the insurer/third party inspector.

Q. How will the COI fees apply if I have multiple BPV devices?

A. Owners of multiple BPV devices require a Certificate of Inspection (COI) for each device owned.

Q. Do I have to renew all of my COIs now? Some of them were renewed just a few months ago.

A. No. The inspection and COI schedule remains exactly the same. The change is in how you renew when the time comes. For example, you have a COI that expires on August 1, 2018. You will need to renew it on that date using the new process. However, you also have a COI that doesn’t expire until next year. That COI is still valid until it expires. Just remember to use the new process when it’s time to renew.

BPV COI - Communications

Direct Communications:

BPV Regulation Change Notice to Insurers
BPV regulation Change Notice to Device Owners - May 15, 2018

How-To Guides:

How to acquire a BPV COI

PLEASE NOTE: This page will contain resources around the upcoming changes including process walkthroughs, frequently asked questions and details around fees as they become available. Please subscribe using the black button below to keep informed of new information and resources.

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