The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) regulates the repair and alteration of boilers and pressure vessels.
Repairs include any work that is required to restore a boiler or pressure vessel to a safe operating condition that does not deviate from the original design.
If a repair would cause a deviation from the original design, it is considered an alteration. Refer to the “Making alterations to a boiler or pressure vessel” section below.
Before making any repair or alteration to a boiler or pressure vessel, ensure that the company selected to perform the activity is certified and holds a Certificate of Authorization from TSSA or another Canadian jurisdiction, or is a company with a National Board Certificate of Authorization (“R” stamp), provided all jurisdictional requirements are met. For a listing of TSSA or National Board Certificate Holders, follow the links below:
Making repairs to BPVs that have mechanical breakdown insurance
If your BPVs are covered by mechanical breakdown insurance, before starting work, contact your insurer to perform the repair inspection.
Making repairs to BPVs without mechanical breakdown insurance
If your BPVs are not covered by mechanical breakdown insurance, schedule a Repair Inspection through the TSSA Client Portal before starting repair work.
For emergency repairs outside of normal business hours, please contact the Area Supervisor.
Making alterations to a boiler or pressure vessel
Alterations are any changes to a boiler or pressure vessel that deviate from the original design and require design calculations that could affect pressure-containing capability. Examples include an increase in the maximum allowable working pressure (internal or external) or increasing the design temperature of pressure-retaining equipment.
All alterations require design registration with the TSSA before starting the work. For more details, read Guidelines for Design Approval of Used and/or Altered Boilers or Pressure Vessels (pdf), or learn how to register a design.
All alterations must be inspected and approved by a TSSA inspector before the boiler or pressure vessel can be put into operation.
Before starting any alteration work, schedule an alteration inspection through the TSSA Client Portal.
For emergency inspections required outside of normal business hours, please contact the Area Supervisor.