TSSA has updated its COVID-19 response and requirements, now that Ontario has entered into Stage 2 and Stage 3 recovery.
In many circumstances, TSSA has been offering grace periods for certain requirements. Now that Ontario has entered Stage 2 and Stage 3 recovery, TSSA expects its regulated clients to resume fulfilling their regulatory requirements. TSSA’s current considerations during COVID-19 can be found here.
We continue to ask customers to contact us if they are facing COVID-19 related barriers and unsure of how to proceed.
TSSA head office remains closed to the public but employees are available by phone or email to serve our valued stakeholders. Please send all general correspondence electronically to customerservices@tssa.org.
For urgent matters, credit card payments or flexible payment options, please call 1-877-682-TSSA (8772).
Page 1
TSSA Considerations during COVID-19
Updated: July 31, 2020
With the COVID-19 epidemic and subsequent recovery stages impacting organizations in Ontario in different ways, TSSA has been working closely with its regulated parties and stakeholders by taking several actions to help alleviate current constraints while ensuring safety is not compromised.
Contacting TSSA
TSSA’s office remains closed to the public. Office employees are available by phone or email to serve and support all of our valued stakeholders.
General inquiries can be sent to customerservices@tssa.org.
When submitting applications electronically to TSSA, use the associated inbound email address located on the upper left of the application form. If the form does not list an email address, send your completed application with the associated prepayment to mailto:intake@tssa.org.
For urgent matters, credit card payments or flexible payment options, call 1-877-682-TSSA (8772).
Please visit the examination section of TSSA’s website for information about scheduling an exam.
TSSA Inspections
TSSA inspections are continuing with pre-screening questions and physical distancing. TSSA team members who have direct contact with Ontarians have been instructed to take all precautions to reduce exposure to the virus and protect their health and customers’ health.
These safety measures include:
• washing their hands often with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• sneezing and coughing into their sleeve
• avoiding touching their eyes, nose or mouth
• practicing physical distancing and wearing a mask
Page 2
TSSA staff have been advised to stay at home if they are sick, have travelled outside of Canada within 14 days, or come into close contact with someone who is sick, tested positive for COVID-19 or has travelled outside of Canada within 14 days – these employees will self-isolate, as recommended by Public Health Authorities. TSSA expects the same from other organizations. TSSA requires clients to wear a mask when a TSSA inspector is on site and in close proximity. Inspections will be rescheduled if an organization’s onsite personnel are symptomatic or not following the health and self-isolation guidelines.
TSSA inspectors will discuss the current COVID-19 situation with the site owner or manager to determine the level of risk. Inspectors will inquire about policies and procedures in place and ask the following questions about people they will be meeting with:
1. Has anyone been exposed to COVID-19?
2. Has anyone recently shown symptoms similar to that of COVID-19?
3. Has anyone had close contact with anyone who has been exposed to or recently shown symptoms similar to that of COVID-19?
4. Has anyone at the site travelled outside of Canada within the last 14 days or had close contact with anyone who has travelled outside the country in the past 14 days?
If the answer is “yes” to any of the above questions, the TSSA employee will contact their supervisor to determine an approach with the customer. If the answer is “no” to all of the above questions, the inspector will advise the site representative that he/she will only enter the site if social distancing of at least two metres between persons can be maintained at all times.
Operating during COVID-19 comes with the responsibility of operating safely. Regulated parties remain responsible for the safety of their sites, devices and procedures and, in particular, must focus on addressing any high-risk sites, devices or situations.
In many circumstances, TSSA has been offering a grace period for certain regulatory requirements. Now that Ontario has entered into Stage 2 and Stage 3 recovery, TSSA expects its regulated clients to resume fulfilling all regulatory requirements immediately. With PPE more readily available and organizations and the public now having had time to adjust and plan for new routines and protocols, regulated clients, in most circumstances, will be required to fulfill regulatory requirements as long as they are operating and even if Ontario has to revert to more stringent distancing and isolation requirements. Further details can be found throughout this document.
We continue to ask customers to contact us if they are facing COVID-19 related barriers and unsure of how to proceed.
TSSA Modified Inspections
TSSA inspections will continue where possible and if they can be done in accordance with government directives, TSSA and customers’ COVID-19 procedures. Where inspections can occur using technology, such as voice, online or other live-camera access, this option will be
Page 3
deployed when possible. TSSA inspections will continue or be resumed in accordance with
Ministry of Health guidelines. TSSA inspectors shall make arrangements with the owner or their
representative prior to entering the following facilities:
Residential and Healthcare Facilities with Vulnerable Residents
• Long-term care homes and seniors’ residences
• Hospitals
• Retirement homes
• Personal dwellings
Licensing Issuance, Renewals & Grace Periods
Regulated parties are required by law to maintain their licences in good standing. Customers
will be invoiced for all licensing-related services.
• Licensing independent from inspection: TSSA will continue to require organizations to
renew their licences before expiry.
• Licensing (or Authorization) dependent on inspection:
• TSSA will continue to require organizations to renew their licences (authorizations)
before expiry.
• TSSA has been renewing licences (or authorizations), even in cases where the
mandatory pre-licence (or pre-requisite) inspection could not be performed, with a
valid reason. These inspections should now resume, and any deferred inspections
required for authorizations should occur as soon as possible and must be
completed no later than November 30, 2020.
Certificate Holders:
• TSSA expects certificates to be renewed prior to expiry. If re-certification is conditional
on continuing education that has not been fulfilled, mechanics must nonetheless renew
their certificates as required. A grace period for these certificate holders to fulfill and
submit their continuing education requirements to the TSSA remains in place.
Certificate holders are expected to pursue online or in-person training opportunities as
they become available.
• Commencing March 16, 2020, certificate holders may continue to work during the grace
period so long as the certificate has been renewed as per the above policy.
• The certificate holder will receive the certificate with the correct expiration date. Proof
of satisfying of the continuing education requirement must be submitted to TSSA once
completed.
Page 4
Program-Specific Procedures
Please also note these program-specific procedures:
BPV Record of Inspection and Certificate of Inspection
• The Province had identified insurance providers as essential services and as such,
insurers who are responsible for completing periodic inspections should be completing
those inspections and following the safe work practices advised by provincial health
officials.
• Owners who have shut down and/or are not operating their equipment are expected to
notify TSSA by completing the following form (https://www.tssa.org/en/boilerspressure-
vessels/resources/Documents/PV-09364-Fill-and-Save-07.17.pdf), selecting F
for Reason for Removal, and emailing it to bpvcustomerservice@tssa.org.
• Owners with operating equipment are expected to request inspections as required by
the Regulations and facilitate those inspections while still ensuring the safety of
persons at their site as well as that of the inspector.
• TSSA expects owners to obtain a Record of Inspection from their insurer and expects
insurers to perform inspections while following COVID-19 safety procedures. Any
inspections that were deferred due to COVID-19 must be scheduled now and performed as
soon as possible. Records of Inspection must be submitted to TSSA as soon as possible and
no later than November 30, 2020.
• Owners unable to facilitate periodic inspections are expected to formally request a grace
period / extension by emailing: the company name, UID number, COI expiry date and
reason for extension to bpv_inquiries@tssa.org.
• Insurers and third-party inspectors that have deferred inspections are expected to
begin inspections immediately and must put plans in place to have caught up on all
inspections by no later than November 30, 2020.
• Insurers, owners and third-party inspectors are reminded of the importance of
completing internal inspections during available windows of opportunity and are
encouraged to complete these inspections while businesses and equipment are
shut down.
• Insurers, owners and third-party inspectors are expected to put plans in place to
ensure the continued safe operation and inspection of devices during the
anticipated second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Propane:
• TSSA expects licences to be renewed. Licence-dependent inspections that may have been
deferred during the onset of COVID-19 restrictions must now resume and must be
completed no later than November 30, 2020.
Page 5
• TSSA has continued to require propane licences to be renewed before the date of
expiry. Any licensee who deferred submission of a new or revised Risk and Safety
Management Plan (RSMP) must submit one as soon as possible and no later than
November 30, 2020.
• TSSA offered propane distributors a grace period to complete the 10-year inspections
of tanks and appliances required by section 18 of O. Reg. 211/01 if they could not be
completed safely. Inspections must now be completed, any deferred inspections
should be scheduled now, and all deferred inspections must be completed no later
than November 30, 2020. Inspections must respect physical distancing requirements.
TSSA will consider exceptions where homeowners or those responsible for long-term
care facilities indicate there is a health risk. Distributors must notify TSSA of all
exceptions to the Statutory Director of Fuels.
• Applicants are allowed to continue to defer the submission of a new Record of Training
(ROT) required as part of the renewal process until further notice. Applicants are
expected to pursue online training opportunities as they become available.
• ROT holders (individuals and individual teachers) do not need to renew their ROT until
further notice. Online training for the theoretical component should be pursued if it is
available.
• ROT training providers (companies) must renew their TSSA accreditation before its
expiry and pay any associated fees, unless other arrangements are made.
• Annual Mobile Food Inspections, Propane Terminal & Propane Dispenser Inspections
As per Ontario Regulation 211/01, these installations must be inspected annually for
propane supply. Any deferred inspections for devices/sites that plan to operate must be
scheduled as soon as possible and must be completed no later than November 30, 2020.
Fuels:
• TSSA offered fuel oil distributors who supply fuel oil and who were unable to complete
the distributor inspections, as required by section 7 of O.Reg. 213/01, a grace period.
All regular inspections must resume, and any deferred inspections should be scheduled
now and completed no later than November 30, 2020. Inspections must respect
physical distancing requirements. TSSA will consider exceptions where homeowners
or those responsible for long-term care facilities indicate there is a health risk.
Distributors must notify TSSA of all exceptions to the Statutory Director of Fuels.
• Non-Immediate Hazard Warning Tags
As per Ontario Regulation 211/01, 212/01 ,213/01, and 217/01, a non-immediate
warning tag can be granted for a period of up to 90 days for deficiencies deemed nonimmediate.
Extensions on this requirement will be granted on a case by case basis only.
Amusement Device Permit Renewals:
• Operators must complete Renewal Packages and must contact TSSA to book an inspection
as soon as they have decided to and are permitted to open. Amusement ride operators are
Page 6
allowed to operate provided their renewal package has been submitted and they have
successfully contacted TSSA to book an inspection. Flexible payment options will be
considered upon request.
• Businesses that do not wish to renew their licences and permit for the season due to the
cancellation of events do not need to maintain a valid licence and permit, as they will not be
operating.
Elevating Devices – Rescue Operations/Emergency Evacuation Record of Training:
• Rescue Operations/Emergency Evacuation certificate holders (individuals) have a grace
period to renew their certificate. Online training for the theoretical component should be
pursued as it becomes available.
• Rescue Operations/Emergency Evacuation training providers (companies) must renew their
TSSA accreditation before its expiry and pay any associated fees, unless other arrangements
are made.