NEW – ON: First Technical Standards and Safety Authority Joint Fuels Council Meeting held

The TSSA held the first joint fuels council meeting (Natural Gas, Propane and Liquid Fuels) on March 11, 2021. This forum consolidates three advisory councils into a single body to achieve more efficient communications on transformation initiatives impacting stakeholders. These joint meetings also provide an opportunity for TSSA-regulated sectors to hear more from each other on shared issues.

Meeting highlights included:

• The introduction of the TSSA’s new Statutory Director of Fuels, Sam Sadeghi.
• The May 1, 2021 launch of the TSSA’s new compliance standard tool which will see enhanced authorizations for high-risk devices.
• The status of the Risk Reduction Group (RRG) remains under consideration by the TSSA.
• An inspection app is in the early development stages by TSSA. When fully developed, the app would include inspection enforcement rules, which would also be posted online along with advance notice of the inspection appointment date.
• Any company requests for COVID-19 related backlog extensions to be accommodated through the Statutory Director of Fuels in off-line one-on-one conversations.
• The propane industry's good safety compliance rates from May to November 2020 with 13 incidents reported and no fatalities. One high-risk incident the TSSA had categorized as propane-related was determined to be miscategorized.
• The implementation of the Propane Code Adoption Document (CAD) 2020, which is ongoing. Zenon Fraczkowski, Manager of Fuels Engineering, said the TSSA is still formalizing how the regulator will deal with underground tanks given the CAD requirement for Authorities Having Jurisdiction guidance.
• Chair Dave Karn will forward the many outstanding propane industry issues that have gone unaddressed by the TSSA to the Statutory Director for consideration and follow-up.

The CPA will continue to update members on developments with respect to the issues identified above. For further information, contact Marcelline Riddell, Government Relations Director (Ontario) at marcellineriddell@propane.ca.