Cutting Corners in Fuels Safety is Never OK
Fuels work can be dangerous—even deadly—if not performed by a professional. To drive that message to the people of Ontario, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) kicks off Fraud Prevention Month with the launch of its first-ever Trunk Slammers Enforcement Program.
Committed to protecting Ontarians from dangers posed by poor technical workmanship on their fuel-burning appliances, TSSA is concentrating on the prosecution of individuals providing gas services without proper certification and registration – with a particular focus on repeat offenders – also known as ‘trunk slammers’.
Of all its regulated sectors well over half of TSSA’s top areas of concern are related to fuels. Improper installation and poor work are the major contributing factors to the fuels- and carbon monoxide (CO) related risks in people’s homes.
Read the press release to learn more about the launch of TSSA’s Trunk Slammers Enforcement Program.
Know Who’s Who Before You Hire A Contractor for Your Fuel-burning Appliances
Uncertified gas technicians and unregistered contractors, aka ‘trunk slammers’, are not certified by or registered with TSSA. Therefore, their work on furnaces and other fuel-burning equipment is not subject to TSSA audits for compliance with safety requirements; their knowledge, competency and qualifications cannot be validated; and they do not receive updates on safety information and training. Furthermore, there is no assurance they will comply with safety regulations, since they have already disregarded the law by working without being certified or registered. They are known for performing less expensive labour with cheaper materials, hence putting the Ontario public at risk of harm through poor workmanship.
From the Urban Dictionary: A trunk slammer is a derogatory term for a contractor who has minimal skill, experience and equipment. Trunk slammer implies the contractor works out of their car trunk, with no office or licence and they will likely be difficult to find if the client is not happy with the work. #unlicensed #contractor #cheap #trunk #construction
Contractors and Technicians
A contractor is responsible for ensuring all of its hired technicians are properly trained and certified by TSSA to perform the tasks they are assigned to code.
Ontario Consumers Share Experiences & Learnings from Trunk Slammer Run-Ins
| Mary’s story |
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I had just bought a house, and while having it renovated, was staying at my parents’ house. My poor dad was in his 80s at the time, an Italian man, very frugal, always trying to save money. We used to joke and battle all the time because he would patch something up, and then have to do it again because he didn’t want to spend the money to do it right the first time. I had a German Sheppard at the time who was always in the backyard, making it difficult for the gas guy to access and read the gas meter. So, while the plumber was working at my house, my dad asked him, “do you do gas?” and the plumber said “yes.” Unbeknownst to me, my dad hired the plumber from my place to move the gas meter from the back of my parents’ house to the front – consequently, running the gas line along the inside corners. I was expecting about $3,000 in rebates for energy savings during the renovation on my house, but when I applied for the grants, my application was rejected because the licence number provided by the plumber was invalid. This man had given me a fake licence number! When I confronted him, he said, “I’ll give you my friend’s number,” and I refused. He hadn’t been licensed to work on gas, plumbing or electrical, and he was not registered with TSSA. Needless to say, I lost the grant money. Fast forward a few years, I rented out my house and decided to live with my parents permanently. I was determined to renovate my parents’ utility room and cover the exposed wires, gas lines and water lines with drywall so it would look nice and clean. The first contractor that came out to my parents’ home to quote us didn’t even want to touch the area because, he said, it looked “like a dog’s breakfast.” The second contractor came prepared to do the job but, in the process, called the gas company to shut off the gas. It was really scary when the TSSA Inspector and Enbridge Gas Inc Supervisors came by and said, “do you realize this is a near miss?” We were told our gas could not be turned back on until all the deficiencies were rectified. It was only then that I understood the severity of this issue – a huge pipe had been pushing and squeezing pounds of gas directly into a smaller pipe inside of my parents’ home. I get the willies just thinking about it. I had visions of my family’s home blowing up. And my poor dad… he was so upset when the gas company Supervisor explained the severity of the situation and asked who had done the work. My dad didn’t want anyone to get into trouble and felt responsible – he just figured the plumber knew what he's doing…
Image 1: Gas leak on supply line Image 2: Inlet pressure going through the house |
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Marlene’s story |
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He quoted me $4,000 to install my air conditioning unit and furnace, and then he came and did the work. But I felt there was something wrong, you know? I didn’t know what, but I started having a bad feeling about him installing this. When he claimed he was finished, I said, “well, these pipes over here aren’t hooked up,” so he said he would return to connect them. Meanwhile, I have two cats that would just sit there and stare at the furnace. Then, I started getting headaches, and when my friends would come to visit, they had the same symptoms. I went through an entire winter with no heat. I could never get a hold of this man, couldn't talk to him. From what I understand now, the intake pipe which draws air from outside to pump inside of my house was not hooked up, so my furnace was only drawing air from the inside of my home and pumping the same air back in. |
| Pam’s story |
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Thank you again to Fuels Inspector Mark and his colleagues at TSSA for helping me with the traumatic situation I was in. The support they provided in all of this will definitely help me to regain trust in people. In my heart, I believe TSSA should put something in the newspapers so people know to be careful of whom they hire for fireplace maintenance and to ask for fully qualified technicians. It will also make consumers aware there are people like you that enforce rules, regulations and proper licencing to protect the people like me who didn't know the difference. I will forever be grateful to Mark, TSSA and Enbridge gas company for saving my life!! |
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