Toronto, ON, January 30, 2023 – Zhoufeng Yu, sole director of Lucky Air Systems operating in Richmond Hill and the Greater Toronto Area, pled guilty on Friday to one count of repairing a natural gas appliance without a TSSA-issued gas technician certificate and one count of knowingly making a false statement or furnishing false information, offenses under the Technical Standards and Safety Act. The Ontario Court of Justice ordered Yu to pay a total fine of $7,000 for both counts, plus a 25 per cent victim surcharge.
Yu, who has not held a valid TSSA certificate since 2018, entered into a verbal contract with a Toronto homeowner to repair a natural gas furnace, which had previously been issued a hazard tag by Enbridge Gas. Upon completing the repairs, Yu signed the hazard tag with the name of another individual that held a valid TSSA certificate, thereby indicating under someone else’s legal authority that the hazard had been cleared.
Why Hire Qualified Workers to Perform Fuel-Related Work?
When individuals are not certified by TSSA to perform fuel-related work:
- their work on fuel-burning equipment is not subject to TSSA audits for compliance with safety requirements.
- their knowledge, competency and qualifications cannot be validated.
- they do not receive updates on safety information and training.
“Improper installation and poor work have been identified as major contributing factors to fuels- and carbon monoxide-related safety risks in people’s homes,” said Sam Sadeghi, Director, Fuels Safety, TSSA. “Hiring only those authorized by TSSA to perform fuel-related work is essential to safeguarding one’s health and wellbeing.”
TSSA reminds the public that any fuel-fired appliance should be installed, serviced and inspected by a TSSA-registered contractor. The public can verify a contractor’s authorization status online or call TSSA toll-free at 1-877-682-8772.
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 prosecution activities.
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For more information, please contact:
Alexandra Campbell
Vice President, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Telephone: 416-734-6227
Email: media@tssa.org
Alexander Oleszek has recently been fined $5,000, after pleading guilty to activating a natural-gas water heater at a Hamilton townhouse without the required certification in 2018. The Ontario Court of Justice ordered Oleszek to pay the fine within two years.
Why Hire Qualified Workers to Perform Fuel-Related Work?
When individuals are not certified by TSSA to perform fuel-related work:
- their work on fuel-burning equipment is not subject to TSSA audits for compliance with safety requirements.
- their knowledge, competency and qualifications cannot be validated.
- they do not receive updates on safety information and training.
“Improper installation and poor work have been identified as major contributing factors to fuels- and carbon monoxide-related safety risks in people’s homes,” said Sam Sadeghi, Statutory Director, Fuels Safety Program, TSSA. “Hiring only those authorized by TSSA to perform fuel-related work is essential to safeguarding one’s health and wellbeing.”
If in doubt of a gas technician’s certification, contact TSSA toll-free at 1-877-682-8772, to verify the individual’s credentials.
A Schomberg construction and excavating company has been ordered by the Ontario Court of Justice to pay a $20,000 fine, after appealing a May 2019 conviction for damaging a pipeline.
During a construction project for a municipality, a Trisan Construction worker attempted to expose a gas line using a hand shovel and accidentally punctured it, causing gas to escape.
After TSSA laid regulatory charges, Trisan Construction was convicted and appealed the Court’s ruling. The Court ultimately held that Trisan was not duly diligent when excavating around the pipeline and relied on an outdated locate.
The appeal, which was launched in 2019, adjourned several times due to court closures and delays caused by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. When a decision was issued in February 2022, the Court upheld the trial court’s conviction under section 10 of Ontario Regulation 210/01 of the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000, which prohibits interfering with or damaging a pipeline, and sentence imposed by the trial court, a fine of $20,000.
“Piercing a gas line is a significant risk to public safety, as it can result in explosions, damage, injury and death,” said Sam Sadeghi, Statutory Director, Fuels Safety Program, TSSA. “That’s why Ontario has stringent laws around pipeline safety, including rules to obtain a valid locate before breaking ground.”
TSSA reminds the public that any excavation work must comply with Ontario’s safety laws, including obtaining a valid pipeline locate before breaking ground and not using mechanical equipment while digging within one metre of a pipeline. Free locates can be obtained from Ontario One Call at 1-800-400-2255, or by visiting www.on1call.com. Any damage and/or subsequent release of gas should be immediately reported to the Ministry of Environment’s Spills Action Centre at 1-800-268-6060 or by contacting TSSA toll-free at 1-877-682-8772.
Full details about the Trisan Construction trial are available in the court file.