Individual Fined $6,000+ for Employing Unlicensed Worker to Install Natural Gas Water Heater
March 16, 2023 – Michael Daniel Hogan, sole director of Mike Hogan Plumbing and Heating Inc. in Kingston, pled guilty on Monday 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 Hogan to pay a total fine of $6,000, plus a 25 per cent victim surcharge.
Under Hogan’s employment, an employee who has never held a T SSA certificate, licence, or registration, was dispatched to a Kingston home to install a natural gas water heater. Hogan, a TSSA-certified G2 gas technician, failed to ensure the employee was certified to perform the work he completed during the course of his employment.
Difference Between Certified Technicians and Registered Contractors
While certification refers to the legal obligation for an individual to have the necessary qualifications to perform gas work, registration describes the legal requirement that a company be registered and therefore permitted to perform gas work.
“Registered contractors are responsible for ensuring all of the technicians they hire are properly trained and certified by TSSA to perform the tasks they are assigned to code,” said Sam Sadeghi, Director of TSSA’s Fuels Safety Program. “If contractors or homeowners have any doubt of a technician’s qualifications, they are urged to call TSSA at 1-877-682-8772 to verify the validity and level of the technician’s certification.”
TSSA reminds the public to hire only registered contractors for the installation, service and inspection of a 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 or verify a company’s or an individual’s credentials by calling TSSA directly.
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