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.
- Death
- Injury requiring medical attention
- Property damage due to fire, explosion, vandalism, or pipeline strikes
- Poisoning or asphyxiation due to exposure to gas, including carbon monoxide
- Other Injuries (e.g. swelling, bruise, cuts, burns, electrical shock, trips, falls, bumps, or entrapment specific to Elevating & Amusement devices)
- Accidental spill and leaks of oil products, and vapour release of gaseous fuels
When to report an incident?
Immediately notify TSSA when the incident is severe in nature and has resulted in:
- Death
- Injury (requiring medical attention)
- Carbon monoxide poisoning, asphyxiation
- Explosion or rupture and damage to property
- Accidents or failures of equipment, components that may result in release of gas
- Spills and confirmed leaks of petroleum products; and
- Pipeline strikes that caused evacuation, injury or media attention
Within 24 hours, notify TSSA when the incident has resulted in:
- Injury that did not require treatment
- Fire or water impact, oil leakage (specific to elevating devices)
- Vandalism or lightning strike (specific to elevating devices)
- A device condition that may be hazardous to a person or property
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.
- Restrict public access to the device or equipment involved in the incident and remove occupants following safety procedures.
- In case of death or critical injury, or cases where equipment are found unsafe that could cause death or damage, do not interfere with anything except for making it safe, until an inspector gives permission.
- In case of fuel oil spills and leaks, take spill-control supplies to the incident site and make installation safe by stopping, minimizing and/or containing the spill or leak.
- Take photos of the scene only if it is safe to do so without interfering with the scene.
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 |