NEW! ON: TSSA posts alternate rules for operating engineers

On November 1, 2020, Ontario’s Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) announced that their 
Operating Engineers Alternate Rules were approved by the Minister of Government and Consumer Services to supplement the existing Operating Engineers Ontario Regulation 219/01. These Alternate Rules provide organizations with two alternative paths (Path 1 and Path 2) to achieve safety and compliance outcomes. The Operating Engineers regulation remains in place and the Alternate Rules do not replace it.
 
Plant owners and users can submit customized site-specific risk and safety management plans (RSMPs) under Path 2 to the TSSA for review effective November 2, 2020. Path 2 Guidelines and forms are available on the TSSA website.
 
This announcement is the most recent outcome resulting from the recommendations of a 2016 expert panel formed by the Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services and TSSA to advise on alternative approaches to safety in power plants. The panel focused on modernizing the regulatory process to respond to technological innovations (e.g., automated controls) and establishing alternatives to maintain and enhance safety. Subsequently, a task group was established to develop a prescriptive risk ranking model and requirements for RSMPs.

The TSSA’s Operating Engineers Safety Program registers, inspects and regulates the safety of plants in Ontario. The TSSA also examines and certifies the professionals who manage, operate and maintain plants and the equipment within.