TORONTO, ON, January 15, 2024 – Carbon monoxide (CO) continues to be a leading cause of accidental poisoning in Ontario. With approximately 65% of all CO incidents occurring in people’s homes, TSSA urges everyone to be ‘WinterWise’ this season and learn about how they can protect themselves against this invisible, odourless and highly poisonous gas - often dubbed the ‘Silent Killer’. 

As part of the Technical Standards and Safety Authority’s (TSSA’s) ongoing efforts to build CO awareness in communities across Ontario, residents in the Hamilton and Niagara region will be receiving a copy of an important safety booklet – WinterWise – this week. This campaign, together with the ongoing public education efforts of community fire and emergency services departments, provides vital information to assist residents in reducing CO risks in their homes. 

“During the cold weather months there’s naturally an increased use of furnaces and fireplaces, and even though these fuel-burning appliances may be safely designed, they can emit deadly levels of CO gas if not properly installed, inspected and maintained regularly,” says Kelly Hart, TSSA’s Director of Fuels Safety. “While CO presents serious hazards, residents can essentially eliminate any potential harm, by taking these two important steps,” adds Hart. 

• Have all fuel-burning appliances inspected annually through the services of a TSSA-registered fuel contractor o to find a TSSA-registered contractor near you use the Find A Registered Fuels Contractor Tool at cosafety.ca. 
• Install certified CO alarms in your home, regularly test and replace them in accordance with manufacturer’s instruction. 

“It’s also important to remember to never use any fuel-burning appliances indoors that are specifically designed and approved for outdoor use only,” adds Hart. 

Residents are encouraged to learn more about CO and other seasonal safety topics by reading and sharing the information in the WinterWise booklet and by visiting COsafety.ca – a website dedicated to providing critical CO safety information. 

TSSA continues to partner with local fire and emergency services and other safety-minded organizations to deliver critical CO safety information to residents in communities across Ontario. The attached backgrounder provides additional information on carbon monoxide. 

Beat the Silent Killer. Take Action. Think Safe. 

About TSSA The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is one of Ontario’s public safety regulators mandated by the Government of Ontario to enforce provincial safety regulations and enhance public safety. Throughout Ontario, 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 and consumer information, certification, licensing and registration, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, safety management consultation, compliance support and enforcement and prosecution activities. The organization’s vision is to be a valued advocate and recognized authority in public safety. 

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For more information or to arrange media availability, please contact:       
Alexandra Campbell     
Vice President, Communications, Stakeholder Engagement  and Customer Service       
Technical Standards and Safety Authority       
Telephone: 416-734-6227       
email: media@tssa.org       
For more information on the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, please visit www.tssa.org/

Streamlined Access to Regulatory Information and Services with an Enhanced User Experience

We are excited to welcome you to TSSA’s new website! Our new site has been carefully designed to provide you – our regulated industry customers and members of the public with an easy and efficient way to access the information, resources and services you’re looking for and a better overall user experience.

We would like to thank all of our stakeholders who have provided valuable feedback throughout various stages of our website journey. Your input has helped to guide the new site structure, navigation, design and content strategy, resulting what we hope you will find is a more engaging, user-focused site.  

• A responsive menu that displays site sections effectively on larger screens and mobile devices
• A document library to search for regulatory documents by keyword and filter by document type and industry 
• Robust site search with filters
• Dashboard landing pages that highlight important, new or updated content for each of TSSA’s regulated industries
• Improved wayfinding through consistency in naming and labels
• Helpful FAQs for specific topics or programs
• Clear information about TSSA’s regulatory scope
• A new section, Consumer Safety, created for the members of the public
• Simplification of the newsroom, subscription to pages, and newsletter

As you navigate TSSA’s new website at www.tssa.org, you’ll find a range of features designed to elevate your browsing experience:

Mastering the new TSSA Website: Your Step-by-Step Guide

We've created a short video that will guide you through our new site and help you make the most of its new features. 

Watch the video and start exploring our website today!

We recognize it’s a big site with a lot of content. Inevitably, you’ll come across things that don’t look right, especially in these early days post-launch. We’ll be spending the next few weeks addressing issues and we appreciate your assistance in reaching out to us at media@tssa.org if you come across anything that needs fixing.

Help Us Continue to Improve Your Experience: Your Feedback Matters

We are grateful for any feedback you might have regarding our new website and you can send your comments to media@tssa.org.