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.
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority has posted an advisory, "Electrical Approval Requirements for Equipment and Installations subject to TSSA Approval."
Fuels Safety Program reviews fuel systems and device design submissions to ensure compliance with the Technical Standards and Safety (TSS) Act and its adopted regulations, safety codes and standards. Applicable codes require that an electrical portion of the fuel system comply with the Ontario Electrical Safety Code.
To ensure that the equipment or installation is electrically safe, Fuels Safety will require evidence of an acceptable electrical approval prior to the inspection of field approvals or inspections of fuel facilities. TSSA will not pass an inspection or apply a Field Approval label if there is no evidence of electrical approval.
Please read advisory FS-268-23 for details.
Fuels Safety Program
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority has posted an advisory on the responsibilities of contractors and certificate holders who install and commission gaseous appliances and fuel distributors who supply fuel to those appliances at residential homes, particularly during construction. The CSA B-149.1, Natural Gas and Propane Installation, code requires that all appliances be installed and commissioned in compliance with code and manufacturer’s instructions.
Please read advisory FS-262-23 for details.
Fuels Safety Program
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Bearings on all Dover-Turnbull counterweights with 2-to-1 roping to be assessed and monitored
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority has issued a Director’s Safety Order and an Advisory on the safety risk posed when a bearing on a 2-to-1 counterweight sheave arrangement fails.
- Director's Safety Order on Turnbull-Dover Elevator 2:1 Roped Counterweights:
This safety order requires counterweight as outlined in the Order to be located, accessed and retrofitted. Compliance timelines include ensuring that installations are assessed by August 30, 2023, and retrofitted by April 30, 2024. Please read Director's Safety Order 302/22 for details.
- Advisory on 2:1 Roped Counterweights:
This advisory, which relates to the Director's Safety Order 302/22 above, brings awareness to the maintenance and monitoring of bearings on 2:1 roped counterweights to ensure they are not presenting signs of failure. Please read Advisory 303/22 for details.
Elevating and Amusement Devices Safety Program
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) will not be launching elevator, escalator and ski lift compliance standards that were previously scheduled to go live in November 2022. The change in timeline will allow for necessary workforce training, industry education, and systems preparation, following the recent inspector strike.
The following compliance standards are affected by the launch postponement:
- Electric / Traction Elevators
- Hydraulic Elevators
- Escalator Contractors
- Escalator Owners and Operators
- Above-Surface Passenger Ropeways
- Conveyors
- Fibre or Rope Tows
- Surface Passenger Ropeways
TSSA will share more details in early 2023.
Elevator outage data will be used for public reporting and to help shape regulatory decisions
Starting July 1, 2022, owners and licensees* of elevators in residential buildings and long-term care homes are required to report elevator outages lasting 48 hours or longer via the Technical Standards and Safety Authority’s (TSSA’s) Residential Elevator Availability Portal. The reporting needs to be completed within 30 days after the day the elevator was returned to service.
The portal provides the following functions:
• View elevator outage records reported to TSSA
• Report elevator outages
• Correct elevator outage data
(*Licensee: The person in charge of the elevating device as the licence holder.)
Report Outages by Elevator Owners and Licensees
Only elevator owners and licensees can use the portal to report elevator outages lasting 48 hours or longer by entering a user ID and password, which can be created using the following information:
- Customer name and number (found on a recent TSSA invoice – see sample below)
- Installation number (found on an elevating device licence)
Sample invoice:
To report outages, click the “Login” button and select the “Report Elevator Outages” tab:
View Elevator Outage Records by Elevator Users
Anyone can view elevator outage records without logging in to the portal. Elevator users and members of the public can view elevator outage records by:
- Entering the postal code of the residential building or long-term care home where the elevator outage occurred
- Indicating the desired date range during which the elevator outage occurred
The portal does not show real-time information about elevators that are out of service. If elevator users have concerns about the reporting status of an elevator in a residential building or long-term care home that was out of service for 48 hours or longer and more than 30 days have passed since the elevator was returned to service, they are encouraged to contact the elevator owner and ask them to report the outage.
Reporting Elevator Outages is Important
Reporting elevator outages is a regulatory requirement that seeks to enhance the availability, safety and maintenance of elevators in Ontario. Data collected from elevator outage reports will inform and shape future regulatory decisions on elevators.
The Elevator Availability webpage will be updated periodically as we launch the reporting portal. For more information, visit Frequently Asked Questions.
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.