The Technical Standards and Safety Authority’s (TSSA’s) Operating Engineers (OE) Safety Program registers, inspects and regulates the safety of plants in Ontario, including:
Utilities: Plants which are used to produce electric power or perform water and waste treatment.
Industrial: Plants used in the production and processing of commodities including manufacture of food, construction materials, and chemicals.
Care or detention occupancy building: Plants used in buildings where primary occupants of the building are restrained from or are incapable of evacuating to a safe location without the assistance of another person because of security measures or mobility restrictions.
Academic: Plants which are located in educational institutions.
Assembly building: Plants located in buildings used for the mass gathering of persons for a specific purpose (for example, entertainment or awaiting transportation.)
Commercial: Plants located in facilities where the services are provided to the public for profit.
Agriculture: Plants used in conjunction with growing operations and animal husbandry.
Steam Traction: Steam engines being used to provide motive power.
TSSA is also responsible for examining and certifying the professionals who manage, operate and maintain those plants and the equipment within them.
The OE Safety Program ensures that OE and operators, also known as power engineers, have the skills and knowledge to run the plants that power Ontario with electricity, refrigeration, heating and cooling.
Under the Technical Standards and Safety Act, Ontario Regulation 219/01: Operating Engineers and the corresponding Director's Order (pdf) apply to operating engineers and operators in Ontario.
Regulated plants
Ontario Regulation 219/01: Operating Engineers and the corresponding Director's Order (pdf) apply to operating engineers and operators in Ontario. In addition, pursuant to subsection 36.1(3) of the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000 apply to the operation of all registered plants in Ontario, as described below.
- Low-pressure steam (15 psi / 103 kPa or less)
Low-pressure steam plant: A low-pressure installation comprising one or more boilers that are not low-water-volume boilers, associated pressure vessels, air compressors, equipment, and piping.
Low-pressure low-water-volume steam plant: A low-pressure installation comprising one or more water tube low-water-volume boilers, associated pressure vessels, air compressors, equipment, and piping.
Low-temperature water plant: A low-pressure installation comprising one or more low-temperature hot water boilers, associated pressure vessels, air compressors, equipment, and piping. (between 212°F and 250°F)
- High-pressure steam (Greater than 15 psi / 103 kPa)
High-pressure steam plant: A high-pressure installation comprising one or more boilers that are not low-water-volume boilers, associated pressure vessels, air compressors, equipment and piping.
High-pressure low-water-volume steam plant: A high-pressure installation comprising one or more water tube low-water-volume boilers, associated pressure vessels, and air compressors, equipment and piping.
High-temperature water plant: A high-pressure installation comprising a high-temperature water plant (over 250°F (121°C)) and one or more compressors, refrigeration compressors, equipment, and piping.
- Low-pressure power (15 psi / 103 kPa or less
Low-pressure power plant: A low-pressure installation comprising a low-pressure steam plant and one or more compressors, refrigeration compressors, equipment and piping.
Low-pressure low-water-volume power plant: A low-pressure installation comprising a low-pressure water tube low-water-volume steam plant and one or more compressors, refrigeration compressors, equipment and piping.
Low-temperature power plant: A low-pressure installation comprising a low-temperature water plant and one or more compressors, refrigeration compressors equipment and piping. (between 212°F and 250°F)
- High-pressure power (Greater than 15 psi / 103 kPa)
High-pressure power plant: An installation comprising a high-pressure steam plant and one or more steam prime movers, compressors, refrigeration compressors, equipment, and piping.
High-pressure low-water-volume power plant: An installation comprising a high-pressure water tube low-water-volume steam plant and one or more steam prime movers, compressors, or refrigeration compressors, equipment and piping.
High-temperature power plant: An installation comprising a high-temperature water plant and one or more compressors, refrigeration compressors, equipment, and piping.
- Other regulated technologies
Steam prime mover plant: A steam engine or turbine including any pressure vessels, associated equipment and piping that has a rating of more than 7 kW (10 BHP, .26TH) and that is driven by steam.
Compressor plant: An installation comprising one or more compressors with prime movers and the equipment, pressure vessels and piping used in connection with it for compressing air or any other gas but does not include a refrigeration plant.
Refrigeration plant: An installation comprised of one or more refrigeration compressors, prime movers, equipment, pressure vessels and any associated piping.
Traction plant: A self-propelled or portable stationary steam powered railway locomotive, road vehicle, traction engine, roller, hoisting plant or portable engine with a mechanical horsepower rating greater than 3.73 kW (5 BHP, .13TH).
Portable compressor plant: A compressor plant (as defined above) that can be carried or moved.
Temporary heating plant: One or more boilers, with or without compressors, including the associated equipment, pressure vessels and piping that supply heat to a project within the meaning of the Occupational Health and Safety Act or to a shaft, tunnel, caisson or coffer dam to which the regulations made under that act apply and that operates at a pressure:
- of not more than 15 psi (103 kPa) and has a total kilowatt rating of more than 1471 kW (150 BHP, 50TH).
of more than 15 psi (103 kPa) and has a total kilowatt rating of more than 490 kW (50 BHP, 17TH).
What or who is not regulated
Ontario Regulation 219/01: Operating Engineers does not apply to:
a person who performs work in connection with a plant other than the actual operation of it.
a person, other than an operating engineer or operator, engaged in installing, testing, or repairing a plant.
a plant that is subject to inspection by the Canadian Transportation Agency or the Canada Energy Regulator.
a boiler used in connection with an open-type hot water heating system having no intervening valves between the boiler and any direct vent, preventing any pressure build up above atmospheric pressure.
a high- or low-pressure steam plant or power plant or a high- or low-temperature water or power plant while used in connection with any growing operation, except a growing operation being carried on in a greenhouse where a person, other than the user of the plant or his or her immediate family, is employed or works in connection with the growing operation.
a boiler or an installation comprised of more than one boiler, where the boiler contains hot water at a temperature of less than 212°F (100°C).
a thermal liquid heater.
a compressor or refrigeration compressor that operates at a pressure of 15 psi (103 kPa) or less.
a non-refrigeration compressor of the centrifugal, turbine, screw, rotary vane, and rotary lobe type.
a compressor situated in a remote area to which a person does not normally have access and that is controlled automatically or by remote manual control, or
a mobile offshore plant.
Plant ratings
A plant rating system determines whether or not a plant is required to be attended and, therefore, regulated. For regulated plants, the plant rating also determines the class of Operating Engineer required to attend the plant.
In Ontario, approximately 20% of plants are attended by operating engineers. The remaining 80% have safety guidelines, even though they do not require operating engineers on the premises.
Rating refers to the registered authorized name plate energy rating of a plant, in kilowatts. (The power threshold differs depending on equipment type).
For a full description of plant ratings and exceptions to ratings, see Ontario Regulation 219/01: Operating Engineers.
Alternate Rules
Under Alternate Rules that came into effect on October 2, 2020, registered plant owners and users can opt to receive authorization from TSSA to operate under an alternate safety path based on more than plant rating.
These alternate rules facilitate a risk-based approach to industry regulation, and affect certain requirements in O. Reg 219/01, including plant staffing, certification time requirements, and electronic logbook requirements.
There are now three safety paths which TSSA regulates and monitor for safety compliance:
Path 0 – Plants are managed in accordance to the requirements under O. Reg 219/01 and Director's Order (pdf)
Path 1 – Plants are regulated and rated based on a risk calculation measured by several factors in addition to the plant rating that governs risk in Path 0.
Path 2 – Regulated plants implement Risk and Safety Management Plans customized for their specific sites that include additional risk management technologies and other processes developed by professional engineers and approved by TSSA.
In other words, plants may continue following the existing O. Reg 219/01 or choose to follow alternate rules.
To learn more, read Alternate Rules for O. Reg 219/01.