The Technical Standards and Safety Authority’s (TSSA) Boilers & Pressure Vessels Safety Program is hosting seminars in Toronto and Sarnia in June and July 2023 to help industry professionals understand the regulatory requirements relating to the voluntary Alternate Piping process.
 
TSSA recently issued an advisory outlining a voluntary, alternate process to the existing inspection process for eligible piping fabrications and installations. The alternate process — available from May 1, 2023 — allows eligible piping contractors to inspect eligible piping systems and complete an “Alternate Piping Data Form” as an alternative to a TSSA inspection. Read the advisory
 
TSSA’s Regulatory Requirements Training Course (Module 1), designed for professionals who provide alternate piping inspections for organizations, will cover the following topics: 

• The Ontario Boiler & Pressure Vessel Regulation 220/01
• TSSA Code Adoption Document
• Piping Registration requirements
• Quality Program Supplement review
• Responsibilities of the “Organization” and “Qualified Persons”
• Completion and filing of the “Alternate Process Piping Form”
• Reporting requirements

Click here for details or register now.
 
Boilers & Pressure Vessels Safety Program
Technical Standards and Safety Authority 

Glover-Hill Inc. Fined $10,000+ for Employing Unlicensed Worker to Perform Boiler Maintenance at Healthcare Facility

Toronto, ON, May 3, 2023 – Glover-Hill Inc., an Ontario registered fuels contractor, pled guilty on Friday to one count of failing to take every reasonable precaution to ensure the company’s employees are appropriately certified to perform gas work, an offense under the Technical Standards and Safety Act. The Ontario Court of Justice ordered Glover-Hill Inc. to pay a total fine of $10,000, plus a 25 per cent victim surcharge.

Under Glover-Hill Inc.’s employment, an employee that did not hold a Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) gas technician certificate, was dispatched to a healthcare facility and installed a shut-off valve on a natural gas boiler. Glover-Hill Inc. was aware that the employee was a plumber and that the employee did not hold the required TSSA certificate.

“Improperly performed gas work is a significant safety risk that can lead to injury and even death to those in the vicinity,” said Sam Sadeghi, Director of TSSA’s Fuels Safety Program. “That’s why TSSA-registered contractors have a legal responsibility to ensure all of their employees are properly trained and certified to perform the work they are assigned. Those who fail to do so will be held accountable.”

TSSA reminds the public to hire only registered contractors for the installation, service and inspection of fuel-fired appliances. TSSA provides direct oversight of all of Ontario’s registered fuels contractors, which means a registered contractor’s work — and the work of the contractor’s technicians – is subject to TSSA audits for compliance with safety requirements. The public can find all of Ontario’s registered contractors online and verify a company’s or an individual’s credentials by calling 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

Improperly Done Work Resulted in Homeowner Fainting from Carbon Monoxide Leak 

March 28, 2023 – The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) recently successfully prosecuted Zlatko Antonov of Jolanta Plumbing & Mechanical Inc. for altering exhaust venting on a natural gas boiler without holding a TSSA gas technician certificate. The improperly done work resulted in a carbon monoxide (CO) leak and injury to a homeowner.  

Three days after Antonov performed the work at a Toronto residence, the homeowner fainted, and 911 was called. When the first responders arrived and detected a high CO reading, the home was evacuated, and the homeowner was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

Antonov has never held a TSSA certificate and had a prior conviction for working without a certificate. Given the severe danger posed by Antonov’s unauthorized work and his previous conviction, the Ontario Court of Justice ordered Antonov to pay a $30,000 fine, plus a victim surcharge, within 180 days.

“A fine of this magnitude sends a clear message to Antonov and those participating in the underground market that performing fuels work without a TSSA certificate is a serious violation of Ontario’s public safety laws and will not be tolerated,” said Sam Sadeghi, Director of TSSA’s Fuels Safety Program.

TSSA reminds the public that all gas appliance work must be performed by a TSSA-certified technician who is employed by a TSSA-registered contractor. All Ontario contractors are listed on the TSSA website.

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