Boilers and Pressure Vessels Regulatory Review
Regulation Number(s):
O. Reg. 220/01
Instrument Type:
Regulation - LGIC
Bill or Act:
Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000
Summary of Proposal:
The regulatory oversight of boilers and pressure vessels is addressed through the Boilers and Pressure Vessels regulation (O. Reg. 220/01) and the Operating Engineers regulation (O. Reg. 219/01), both of which are made under the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000 (Act). The Operating Engineers regulation is not the focus of this consultation.
The Boilers and Pressure Vessels (BPV) regulation governs BPV safety including design, manufacturing, installation, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning. The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is an arms-length, not-for-profit, self-financed administrative authority that is responsible for administering the act and regulations. The Ministry of Government and Consumer Services is responsible for bringing forward any changes to the act or regulations and for overseeing the performance of TSSA.
Boilers and pressure vessels are equipment that produce and distribute hot water, steam, compressed air, liquids, and gases, as well as refrigerants. They are used in a wide-variety of industries in Ontario, including power generation, manufacturing, agri-food, forestry, and dry cleaning. They also provide refrigeration and heating services for a variety of buildings and institutions. TSSA enforces the regulation through its BPV Safety Program. BPVs in Ontario have a strong safety record and incidents related to this type of equipment are rare.
In February 2016, MGCS, in collaboration with TSSA, established a 14-member panel of BPV industry stakeholders with representation from insurance companies, third-party inspectors, and BPV owners and manufacturers. The purpose of the consultation was for the panel to make recommendations to government that would assist in addressing long-standing challenges associated with the operationalization of the Boilers and Pressure Vessels regulation. The panel met on five occasions between February and April 2016 to discuss five key challenges:
1.Non-compliance with regard to TSSA's issuance of BPV authorizations (Certificates of Inspection)
2.Structural deficit in the BPV Safety Program
3.Data challenges impacting TSSA's ability to conduct safety analysis
4.Limitations in the oversight of periodic inspections conducted by insurers
5.Confusion regarding regulatory requirements for periodic inspection of piping and fittings
The BPV expert panel report was finalized in August 2016. The panel requested further information from TSSA on the costing of the Certificate of Inspection authorization process and insurer oversight. This information was provided by TSSA in the fall and subsequent discussions with the panel concluded in December 2016.
The ministry has developed the attached draft regulatory changes to support the implementation of the panel's recommendations as well as other changes to improve the effectiveness of TSSA's BPV Safety Program. Please refer to the "Public Consultation Feedback Form" for a plain language summary of the draft regulatory changes.
How You Can Help
The ministry welcomes feedback and encourages anyone interested to provide comments on the proposal by email or mail. To view the draft regulation, plain-language draft regulation summary of the key changes, along with discussion questions and the BPV expert panel report, please click the links under "Further Information".
Please provide your feedback on the quality of the regulatory registry posting - see survey link below.
Further Information:
Proposal Number:
17-MGCS007
Posting Date:
June 2, 2017
Comments Due Date:
July 17, 2017
Contact Address:
Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, Public Safety Branch, 56 Wellesley Street West, 6th Floor Toronto, ON M7A 1C1