Incident reporting is a key part of making Ontario a safe place to work, live and play. For industries regulated by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), reporting all incidents is the law.
What is an incident?
An incident is an occurrence involving a regulated facility, work, or product where its use has resulted in or has the potential to cause death, personal injury, or damage to property.
The definition above is intended to ensure clarity across all TSSA programs. It categorizes incidents into:
a) Those where an accident has already occurred, and
b) Those with the potential to cause death, personal injury, or property damage.
Both types are reportable under each program in accordance with the relevant regulations.
Which incidents to report?
Did the incident cause or has the potential to lead to any of the following? If the answer is 'yes; to any of the scenarios below, you must report the incident. Please refer to specific incident guidelines at the end of this page for more clarity on the types of incidents reportable for each program.
When to report an incident?
Immediately notify TSSA when the incident is severe in nature and has resulted in:
Within 24 hours, notify TSSA when the incident has resulted in:
Who reports an incident?
The owner or operator at the site is primarily responsible for notifying TSSA of the incident, as required by the relevant regulation. TSSA also welcomes reporting of incidents from the public and assures the anonymity of all third-party reporters who choose to remain so.
How to report?
TSSA must be notified of all reportable incidents through the helpline at 1-877-682-8772 by selecting option 1. This option connects to our incident hotline at the Spills Action Center (SAC).
Reporting oils spills directly to SAC or through the above number fulfills the requirement. A separate written report in the case of amusement, elevating and ski devices shall be sent by using the program-specific forms below.
What to expect after reporting an incident?
TSSA considers all types of incident reports important. After receiving a report, TSSA triages it based on its severity, with only certain incidents warranting a response, inspection, or investigation.
Preserving the incident scene
Incident scene preservation is required to prevent further casualties, facilitate investigation and identify the root causes of the incident. Follow the general guidelines below to ensure scene preservation as and when it may be relevant to the incident scenario.
For more information or details on reporting requirements, please refer to the following incident reporting guidelines:
Incident Reporting Guidelines | Written Report Form |
AD Incident Reporting Guidelines | AD Incident Reporting Form |
ED Incident Reporting Guidelines | ED Incident Reporting Form |
Ski Lift Incident Reporting Guidelines | Ski Incident Reporting Form |
Hydrocarbon fuel criteria for reporting an incident | Not applicable |
BPV Incident Reporting Advisory | Not applicable |