The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) regulates amusement devices in accordance with the;
Ontario Regulation 221/01 – Amusement Devices (e-laws.on.gov),
Amusement Devices Code Adoption Document Amendment (AD-CAD) AD-541/21 (pdf)
ASTM F2783 Standard Practice for Design, Manufacture, Operations, Maintenance, and Inspection of Amusement Rides and Devices, in Canada and all other applicable regulations and codes, and
All other applicable regulations AD codes.
As the regulator, TSSA reviews and files amusement device technical dossiers, provides engineering services, issues a permit for each ride in the current operating season, licenses operators and mechanics, conducts inspections, and performs incident investigations.
Regulated Devices
These devices regulated in Ontario under Ontario Regulation 221/01 – Amusement Devices s 2.(1) and include:
Amusement rides and devices: rollercoasters, Ferris wheels, mechanically assisted bounces, bumper cars, etc.
Water slides
Go-karts
Inflatables
Zip lines
Bungee jumps
Devices Exempt from Regulation
The following devices are exempt from regulation by TSSA as per Ontario Regulation 221/01 – Amusement Devices s.2 (2). (They may, however, be regulated by other entities.)
Devices that are provided in a public park, playground, play space or similar facility.
Devices that are,
i. designed and built to be operated by coin, token, or card, and
ii. designed to be operated without the assistance of an operator.
Trains, vehicles, or conveyances that are operated primarily for transportation purposes and that are not used exclusively for amusement.
3.1 Trains known as model trains that operate on a track with an internal gauge of 12 inches or less, operate at a speed of 12 kilometres per hour or less and are operated primarily for demonstration purposes in support of railroad heritage or technology.
Elevating devices regulated under Ontario Regulation 209/01 (Elevating Devices, Ontario.ca) except for those elevating devices that are used to entertain members of the public and fall within the definition of an amusement device.
Off-road vehicles within the meaning of the Off-Road Vehicles Act (Ontario.ca).
Motorized snow vehicles within the meaning of the Motorized Snow Vehicles Act (Ontario.ca).
Public pools, wave action pools and lazy rivers.
Aircraft within the meaning of the Aeronautics Act (Canada).
Devices whose sliding action is dependent on snow or ice.
Boats and other watercraft used for transportation and leisure but not for amusement.
Jet water skis and similar jet or motorized devices used on water.
Wind surfers and surf boards.
Devices that require human or animal muscular power to move.
Parasails, hang gliders, balloons, and chutes.
Hayrides driven by any propulsion.
Soap box racers.
Golf carts.
Hovercraft.
Skateboards, roller skates and in-line blade skates.
Live animal rides.
Self-propelled vehicles that travel a speed of 4 kilometres per hour or less.
Dry slides that meet the following criteria:
i. the vertical height of the slide, measured from its entry to the exit, is 3m or less for open flume slide and is 5m or less for closed flume slide,
ii. the average angle of the slide flume, measured from its entry to the exit, is 30º or less, and
iii. the maximum speed of the rider at the slide exit is not more than 2m/s.
Track rides that meet the following criteria:
i. the vertical height of the hand-gripping component is less than 1,950 mm from the finished grade at any point along the ride,
ii. the maximum speed of the hand-gripping component of the ride on arrival at the arrival station is two metres per second, and
iii. the maximum speed of the rider at any point along the ride is five metres per second.
Air supported pillows that meet the following criteria:
i. they are protected from ambient weather conditions,
ii. they are less than 900 mm thick, and
iii. they do not have inflated walls.
24.1 Air supported structures that are buildings or that are used solely for advertising or spectator participation.
Water slides that meet the following criteria:
i. the vertical height of the water slide, measured from its entry to the exit, is 2m or less,
ii. the average angle of the water slide, measured from its entry to the exit, is less than 6º, and
iii. the maximum speed of the passenger on the slide does not exceed 2m/s.
- Children’s Play Space and Equipment covered by CAN/CSA-Z614-1998 Standard and ASTM-F 1918-98 Standard Safety Performance Specification for Soft Contained Play Equipment.
- Go-kart tracks, go-karts or facilities that are affiliated to and sanctioned by the National Karting Council of the National Sporting Authority or organizations that, in the opinion of the director, are equivalent thereto and that are involved in the sport of racing and that are subject to the regulations, licensing and driver qualifications as mandated by such organizations.
- Rubber tired wagons or trains not on tracks.
Amusement devices operated at private dwellings, including the land upon which the private dwellings are situated, and used exclusively by the owner or occupants and their guests.
- Fixed or portable climbing walls, rock climbing walls or inflatable climbing walls.
Zip lines or cable rides that meet the following criteria:
i. the vertical height of the suspension cable is less than 2,400 mm from the finished grade at any point along the ride,
ii. the maximum speed at which the rider may be travelling on arrival at the arrival station is two metres per second, and
iii. the maximum speed of the rider at any point along the ride is five metres per second. O. Reg. 221/01, s. 2 (2); O. Reg. 188/03, s. 2; O. Reg. 249/08, s. 2 (2-4).
If you are unsure whether a device is regulated or not, please contact TSSA Amusement Devices Engineering at addesignsubmittal@tssa.org.