The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) has published the Oil & Gas Pipeline Systems Code Adoption Document (CAD) and the associated Consultation Summary after reviewing feedback from the consultation that closed on July 3, 2024. Please read the latest Oil & Gas Pipeline Systems CAD and the Consultation Summary on TSSA's website.
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) has posted two new advisories on Elevating Devices to provide guidance to industry:
Federal Elevator Limited Use/Limited Application – Verification of Correct Shackle Assembly
This is an updated version of the advisory detailing requirements for a shackle washer on Federal Elevator Limited Use/Limited Application (LULA) Elevators. This advisory was initially shared on May 8, 2024, to inform owners and operators about the possibility of a suspension failure at the shackle connection to the elevator on Federal Elevator LULAs. Please read the updated advisory for details.
Minimum Vertical Clearance on Load Carriers for Parking Garage Lifts
This advisory is intended to bring awareness to the expected vertical clearance to be provided between load carriers for parking garage lifts. As a best practice, 2000 mm clear headroom between the load carriers of a parking garage lift shall be provided so users can safely enter and exit the working area of the parking garage lifts safely. Please read the advisory for details.
Consultation closes on July 3, 2024
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) invites you to provide feedback on its publication of the Code Adoption Document (CAD) for Oil & Gas Pipeline Systems.
The CAD adopts a series of national safety codes into regulation. There are three codes adopted in the CAD which was last updated and published in 2020.
The opportunity to provide feedback will be open until July 3, 2024. TSSA aims to publish the final CAD approximately one month after reviewing consultation feedback.
Please provide your feedback or visit the Consultations webpage for more information on the Oil & Gas Pipeline Systems CAD.
(Update: TSSA appreciates your inputs. The consultation is now closed.)
Consultation closes on July 16, 2024
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) invites you to provide feedback on its publication of the Code Adoption Document (CAD) for Boilers and Pressure Vessels. The CAD adopts the recent published B52-23 Mechanical Refrigeration Code.
The opportunity to provide feedback will be open until July 16, 2024. TSSA aims to publish the final CAD after reviewing consultation feedback.
Please provide your feedback or visit the Consultations webpage for more information.
(Update: TSSA appreciates your inputs. The consultation is now closed.)
On May 15, 2024, TSSA will kick off an initiative to verify the operating status of boilers and pressure vessels (BPVs) that were certified at one time but did not complete the certification renewal.
TSSA’s licensing process is essential for ensuring that all BPVs actively operating in Ontario have undergone an initial inspection for compliance with the applicable Codes and standards. Subsequently, these BPVs undergo periodic inspections at pre-determined intervals throughout their operational lifespan to ensure continued safety.
You are receiving this notification as our records indicate that your company may be the last-known insurer or the inspecting Authorized Inspection Agency for some of these BPVs. TSSA needs your assistance to verify both the operating and insurer status of these BPVs.
As some of these BPVs may be in operation, removed from service, changed ownership, or exempt from inspection, your company may experience increased inquiries or requests for inspection from BPV owners or operators whom TSSA will be contacting to advise that they have unverified BPVs requiring operating status verification and possible inspection.
How You Can Help
We ask that you support your clients with the required inspection of BPVs identified as operating and requiring an inspection and address questions regarding BPV exemptions. At your request, TSSA can provide you with a list of BPVs that were last insured or inspected by your company so you can advise us on their operating and insured status.
TSSA will provide you with the instructions that we have made available to BPV owners and operators so that you are aware of our ask of them in a follow-up communication.
We thank you in advance for your support and assistance with this initiative. If you have any questions or would like to request a list of BPVs, please contact us at BPVCustomerservice@tssa.org.
Boilers and Pressure Vessels Program
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
TSSA will kick off an initiative in May 2024 to verify the operating status of boilers and pressure vessels (BPVs) that were certified at one time but did not complete certification renewal.
TSSA’s licensing process is essential for ensuring that all BPVs actively operating in Ontario are initially inspected for compliance with the applicable Codes and standards. Subsequently, these BPVs undergo periodic inspections at pre-determined intervals throughout their operational lifespan to ensure continued safety.
TSSA needs your assistance to verify the operating status of these BPVs. We recognize that BPVs may be in different operating statuses (such as Actively Operating, Removed from Service, Changed Ownership, or Exempt from Inspection).
Effective May 15, 2024, TSSA has designed a simple process to allow you to access a list of unverified BPVs and report the current operating status through the BPV Certificate of Inspection (COI) Portal for Owners. Stay tuned for more details.
As the owner or operator of a BPV in Ontario, we would like to remind you that O. Reg. 220/01 requires the following:
- You must hold a valid COI to operate a BPV as per Section 5: “No person shall operate or use or permit a boiler, pressure vessel, fitting or piping to be operated or used unless a valid certificate of inspection has been issued in respect of the boiler, pressure vessel, fitting or piping”.
- You must report a change in operating status as per Section 8: “Upon permanently removing a boiler, pressure vessel, fitting or piping from operation or use, the owner, the operator or any other person responsible for it or in immediate charge of it shall forthwith notify the director of the removal in the form published by the Corporation”.
We thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have questions regarding this initiative, contact TSSA at BPVcustomerservice@tssa.org.
Boilers & Pressure Vessels Program
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Consultation closes on June 7, 2024
TSSA invites you to provide feedback on its publication of the Code Adoption Document (CAD) for Compressed Gas.
The CAD adopts a series of national safety codes into regulation. There are five separate codes adopted in the CAD which was last updated and published in 2009.
The opportunity to provide feedback will be open until June 7, 2024. TSSA aims to publish the final CAD approximately one month after reviewing consultation feedback.
Please visit the Compressed Gas CAD webpage.
About TSSA
Throughout Ontario, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) enforces provincial safety regulations and enhances public safety. TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services includes public education, certification, licensing and registration, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, safety management consultation, compliance support, enforcement and prosecution activities.
With the goal of enhancing the safety and availability of elevators in Ontario, and following a new provincial regulation, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) has launched a Residential Elevator Availability Portal. Effective July 1, 2022, elevator owners and licensees (those in charge of the elevating device as the licence holder) must report extended elevator outages through the portal.
Quick Facts
- Elevators in residential buildings and long-term care homes that have been out of service for more than 48 hours must get reported to TSSA.
- The reporting must occur within 30 days after the elevator has returned to service.
- Only elevator owners and licensees can use the portal to report elevator outages.
- Anyone can view elevator outage records without logging in to the portal.
- The portal provides historical elevator outage records and does not show real-time information about elevators that are currently out of service.
Data on elevator outages will be used for public reporting purposes and to inform and shape future regulatory decisions on elevator safety and availability.
For more information, visit TSSA’s Elevator Availability Information Page and read the Online FAQs for answers to commonly asked questions.
After first launching three years ago, TSSA is continuing its Fuel Oil Distributor Audit Program that will require distributors to demonstrate their compliance with the Fuel Oil regulation, O. Reg. 213/01. The Fuel Oil regulation, O. Reg. 213/01, has six primary requirements that are a distributor’s responsibilities. They are as follows:
- Initial and Periodic Inspections
- Underground Tank Registrations
- Supply to a Compliant Site
- Employees’ Certification and Compliance
- Incident Reporting
- Identification, Action as Required and Reporting of non-compliances (unacceptable conditions)
Distributors are responsible for complying with the above six primary requirements. TSSA’s audit will require the distributor to demonstrate compliance through their processes and records.
Regarding the first requirement listed above “Initial and Periodic Inspections”, if there is no process to verify distributor inspections, TSSA will now do a field verification. If TSSA does a field verification and non-compliances are found, orders will be issued to address the specific non-compliances including the following “as a person who supplies fuel to containers and tank systems, you are hereby ordered to develop a program whereby you can demonstrate that you have taken every precaution that is reasonable to ensure the inspections required by 7(1) of Ontario Regulation 213/01 (Fuel Oil) are accurate”.
Please see these advisories for further detail on the fuel oil distributor audit program:
- Introduction of TSSA’s Fuel Oil Distributor Audit Program
- Validation Programs associated with TSSA’s Fuel Oil Distributor Audit Program, Advisory FS-247-19 R2
About TSSA
Throughout Ontario, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) administers provincial safety regulations and enhances public safety. TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services include public education, authorization, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, compliance support, enforcement, and
New analysis leads to improved Compliance Standards and reduction of high-risk orders
TSSA is making changes to the compliance standards for hydraulic and traction elevators launched earlier this year. The changes result in a more effective safety program with very focused requirements in the compliance standards. This means there are fewer high-risk orders that can be issued on a periodic inspection than originally communicated earlier this year.
On March 1, 2023, new compliance standards for hydraulic and traction elevators, and escalators took effect. Compliance standards help device owners and operators better understand their safety priorities. There may be public safety consequences if any requirements in a compliance standard are not addressed. If there is a non-compliance a device may be shut down or an order issued to resolve within 14 days.
The new compliance standards for hydraulic and traction elevators take effect on June 12, 2023. For more information, visit TSSA’s website. Another webinar will be available on July 11 explaining how compliance standards work. This follows the webinars held earlier this year that first introduced compliance standards.
TSSA develops compliance standards using an evidence-based and data driven approach to identify requirements and safety priorities.
After careful analysis, TSSA revised its risk threshold which resulted in a more effective safety program with very focused requirements in the compliance standards. Making this change to the compliance standards will use inspection resources to the greatest benefit with a goal of improving safety.