Thank you for attending the Operating Engineer (OE) Compliance Standards webinar on March 26, 2026. Here is a recording of the webinar.

The purpose of the webinar was to give attendees an opportunity to learn how the OE Compliance Standard was developed, the difference between high-risk non-compliances on the OE Compliance Standard and other non-compliances, and the process to follow when non-compliances are found during a periodic inspection. 

We hope those who attended the webinar have a better understanding of how the OE Compliance Standard will enhance the safety of power plants in Ontario. Please visit our website for more information about the Operating Engineer Compliance Standard that is coming soon.

This news item was sent to Operating Engineering plants and web subscribers.

Attention: Operating Engineer Plant Operators

The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is hosting a live webinar to inform attendees about the new Operating Engineer (OE) Compliance Standard which is expected to launch in spring.
 
Date:  Thursday, March 26, 2026
Time: 1 - 2 pm (EST)

Join from the webinar link:
https://tssameet.webex.com/tssameet/j.php?MTID=mf74bddb899775b00ec1dbb941961fd47

Join by webinar number:
Webinar number (access code): 2337 991 2284
Webinar password: wMgtMHk6K23 (96486456 when dialing from a phone or video system)

REGISTER TO SAVE YOUR SPOT NOW! Attendance is limited to the first 1,000 attendees.

The OE Compliance Standard seeks to enhance the safety of plants across Ontario by focusing the efforts of TSSA and regulated parties on addressing high-risk non-compliances promptly. The OE Compliance Standard identifies high-risk non-compliances that pose significant risks to safety. If high-risk non-compliances are found during a periodic inspection, TSSA will issue an order(s) and conduct a follow-up inspection to verify compliance. If compliance is not confirmed, the impacted equipment or plant will be shut down.
 
Other non-compliances, categorized as safety tasks (low- and medium-risk non-compliances), will be noted on the inspection report. TSSA will not conduct a follow-up inspection if only safety tasks are found during a periodic inspection.
 
Webinar attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn about:

• How the OE Compliance Standard was developed
• High-risk non-compliances on the OE Compliance Standard
• The difference between high-risk non-compliances on the OE Compliance Standard and other non-compliances
• The process to follow when non-compliances are found during a periodic inspection

 Speakers:

• Sandra Cooke, Manager, Compliance, Legal, TSSA

Sandra Cooke is one of the people leading TSSA’s transformation into an Outcome-Based Regulator. Since joining TSSA in 1999, she has held a variety of managerial roles in operations, fuels safety engineering, compliance and business development. She also serves as TSSA’s Ombudsman. Her experience before TSSA includes roles at Ontario Hydro, a gas appliance manufacturer and a certification agency. Sandra is an Ontario Professional Engineer with a master’s degree and a bachelor of applied science in engineering from the University of Toronto. Sandra is a member of the International Ombudsman Association (IOA) and is an IOA-Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practitioner.

• Sue Hadley, Chief Officer, Operating Engineer, TSSA

Sue Hadley is a 1st Class Operating Engineer with 38 years of experience in the power‑generation sector. Her extensive career spans coal, oil, gas, energy‑from‑waste, and biomass facilities, and she has overseen the commissioning of three power plants. From 2012 to 2017, Sue served as an Operating Engineer Inspector with TSSA. She has also taught at BCIT and Lambton College for four years and contributed to organizations such as Achieve Anything and Women in Science and Engineering, supporting the advancement of women in technical fields.

In Markham District Energy (MDE), power engineering students serve as a secondary line of defence in maintaining safety.  

For 15 years, Craig Graham, MDE’s Chief Operating Engineer has been hiring students for four-month work terms. Currently, MDE employs five students per term - 15 students per year. Over the years, Graham has signed off on the Qualifying Experience Time for more than 100 students. This practical operating experience, gained while working in a registered plant, is a prerequisite for applying for higher-level Operating Engineer certifications. 

Each student is paired with various operating engineers as they navigate the entire plant, learning from the operating controls, maintenance, and distribution teams. Each student is given three unique questions each week. They discuss their findings with operating engineers who share safety insights on troubleshooting and resolving issues in the plant.  

Industry partners are often reluctant to hire Co-op students in their plants, as operating engineers work with high-energy equipment and complex critical systems where errors can have significant consequences. 

But MDE takes a different approach by enlisting power engineering students as safety allies. The company attributes its safety track record of one lost-time injury in 25 years, and an operational record of less than three hours of service interruptions in 25 years to collaborating with power engineering students.  

“Students don’t just take steam time; they give back by asking staff a lot of questions about processes and procedures, providing good review,” explains Jim Kee, Vice President of Operations. Having experienced engineers share the rationale behind safety protocols keeps their safety knowledge sharp and prevents complacency. 

This supportive strategy has enabled MDE with the following advantages:  

• Additional assistance with ongoing preventive maintenance, operations, and projects
• Experienced staff provide detailed, plant-specific training, constantly refreshing their knowledge as they mentor students who ask questions
• Operating engineers develop leadership skills through mentoring students
• A ready pool of trained candidates to fill Operating Engineer positions