TSSA Compliance for Inspection Service Providers
Businesses that install, repair or alter boilers, pressure vessels, fittings and associated pressure piping in Ontario, which must hold a Certificate of Authorization from TSSA or another Canadian jurisdiction. Personnel are qualified under employer-based certification, so a contracted Level III can sign the written practice and administer examinations for the firm.
Also owners seeking accreditation of an owner/user self-inspection repair program, piping contractors electing the alternate piping inspection process, and individuals working as boiler and pressure vessel inspectors for an Authorized Inspection Agency. Ontario splits the requirement in two. A firm needs a Certificate of Authorization, obtained by submitting a written Quality Program Manual, undergoing a TSSA audit and providing a demonstration item showing adequate controls for the activities claimed; deficiencies must be closed before the certificate issues. The audit team includes a Quality Assessment Specialist plus an Authorized Inspector or Authorized Inspector Supervisor. Separately, individuals inspecting for an Authorized Inspection Agency need a personal Certificate of Competency, which requires a National Board examination, a TSSA examination and an in-service commission. Ontario is unusual in tying inspection personnel to employment by the certificate holder rather than allowing a contracted inspector.
Source: TSSA Advisory BPV-001-23, Alternate Process for Pressure Piping Inspection in Ontario, dated 2023-04-17 and effective 2023-05-01, referencing CSA B51-19 clause 4.10.2.1 as modified by Code Adoption Document BPV-20-01 R1; TSSA Accreditation of Owner/User Self-Inspection Repair Program, Guide for Review Teams, June 2007 Rev. 4; TSSA Accredited Inspection Agencies Acceptable to TSSA, 2008-05-08 Rev. 8; TSSA Certification: Boilers and Pressure Vessels, Types of Inspections, and Boiler & Pressure Vessel Owners pages; Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000 and O. Reg. 220/01. Verified on tssa.org on 2026-08-21.
| Item | What applies | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Authority | Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), Boilers and Pressure Vessels Safety Division, administering the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000 and O. Reg. 220/01 | The body that issues, audits and can withdraw |
| Applies to | Businesses that install, repair or alter boilers, pressure vessels, fittings and associated pressure piping in Ontario, which must hold a Certificate of. | Whether this binds your firm at all |
| Personnel certification | Employer-based — the firm certifies its own, under a qualified Level III | Decides whether an outsourced Level III can sign for you |
| Renewal | Certificates of Competency for boiler and pressure vessel inspectors renew annually and expire on March 1 each year; TSSA sends renewal invoices roughly 60 days before expiration and a late renewal fee applies after the deadline. Renewal requires a valid and current National Board In-Service Commission card verified against the listed employer. A certificate not renewed within 12 months of expiry must go through reinstatement. Certificates of Inspection for equipment run on 12, 24 or 36 month cycles depending on equipment classification. | Diarise from the certificate date, not from memory |
| Methods in scope | UT, UTT, RT, MT, PT, VT | Each method needs its own procedure and qualified personnel |
| Industries | Refining, Petrochemical, Chemical processing, Power generation, Pulp and paper | Where this regime shows up in contracts |
Who does TSSA apply to?
Businesses that install, repair or alter boilers, pressure vessels, fittings and associated pressure piping in Ontario, which must hold a Certificate of Authorization from TSSA or another Canadian jurisdiction. Also owners seeking accreditation of an owner/user self-inspection repair program, piping contractors electing the alternate piping inspection process, and individuals working as boiler and pressure vessel inspectors for an Authorized Inspection Agency.
Can an outsourced Level III sign for TSSA compliance?
Yes. TSSA accepts employer-based certification, which places the obligation on the employer and allows a contracted Level III to write and sign the written practice, approve procedures and administer examinations. The Level III must be qualified in each method they sign for, and the employer still owns the records.
What documents does a TSSA audit ask for?
Quality Program Manual covering the activities claimed, with an organization chart showing the inspector-to-supervisor reporting hierarchy, Completed owner/user self-inspection checklist cross-referencing each requirement to a QC Manual paragraph, submitted with one controlled copy of the manual at least one month before the implementation review, Demonstration item or repair job package showing all elements of the program, including non-destructive examination and heat treatment, NDE procedures and evidence that NDE personnel are qualified in accordance with the applicable code section and CAN/CGSB-48.9712, Registered welding procedures (WPS/PQR) and welder performance qualification records reviewed annually. Auditors open records before they open manuals, because a manual describes intent while records show practice. The most common failure is a documented system that does not match what the technicians actually do.
How often is TSSA renewed?
Certificates of Competency for boiler and pressure vessel inspectors renew annually and expire on March 1 each year; TSSA sends renewal invoices roughly 60 days before expiration and a late renewal fee applies after the deadline. Renewal requires a valid and current National Board In-Service Commission card verified against the listed employer. A certificate not renewed within 12 months of expiry must go through reinstatement. Certificates of Inspection for equipment run on 12, 24 or 36 month cycles depending on equipment classification. Firms that diarise renewal from the certificate date rather than from the last audit avoid the lapse that forces a full reapplication.
What are the most common TSSA findings?
Qualified personnel performing alternate piping inspections who are contractors rather than employees, contrary to clause 2.1 of Advisory BPV-001-23 which requires them to be an employee of the Certificate of Authorization holder., QC Manual does not address the qualification and certification of NDT personnel to CAN/CGSB-48.9712, which the owner/user self-inspection checklist lists as the Canadian jurisdictional requirement., Inspector scope mismatch: personnel certified only to API 570 signing off on vessel work, where API 570 alone supports piping only., Work performed outside the authorized scope stated on the Certificate of Authorization, or the alternate piping process used without first applying to add it to the scope.. These recur because they are records problems rather than capability problems — the work is being done correctly and the evidence is not being kept.
Which NDT methods does TSSA cover?
UT, UTT, RT, MT, PT, VT, PAUT, ET. Each method in scope needs its own approved procedure and personnel qualified in that specific method; a Level III qualified in ultrasonics cannot sign for radiography.
Personnel certification under TSSA
For NDE technicians Ontario recognises both routes: TSSA states that non-destructive examination of alterations by qualified personnel according to CAN/CGSB-48.9712 or ASNT SNT-TC-1A may be required, so an employer written practice is accepted alongside central CGSB certification. The owner/user self-inspection checklist nonetheless requires the QC Manual to address CAN/CGSB-48.9712 to meet Canadian jurisdictional requirements. The constraint is on inspection personnel, not NDT: under Advisory BPV-001-23 a qualified person performing alternate piping inspections must be an employee of the Certificate of Authorization holder, which limits a purely contracted arrangement.
The audit sequence
- Determine the activities to be authorized and prepare a written Quality Program Manual addressing the CSA B51 and National Board Inspection Code control requirements for that scope.
- Submit the completed checklist with one controlled copy of the QC Manual to TSSA head office at least one month before the scheduled implementation review date.
- TSSA reviews the manual and schedules an implementation review; the audit team comprises at minimum a Quality Assessment Specialist plus an Authorized Inspector or Authorized Inspector Supervisor.
- Demonstrate implementation through a repair job package or demonstration item covering every element of the program, including NDE and heat treatment.
- Close out all deficiencies identified during the audit; TSSA does not issue the Certificate of Authorization until they are addressed.
- TSSA issues the Certificate of Authorization stating the authorized scope; individual inspectors separately obtain a Certificate of Competency after the National Board and TSSA examinations and an in-service commission.
Documents an auditor asks for
- Quality Program Manual covering the activities claimed, with an organization chart showing the inspector-to-supervisor reporting hierarchy
- Completed owner/user self-inspection checklist cross-referencing each requirement to a QC Manual paragraph, submitted with one controlled copy of the manual at least one month before the implementation review
- Demonstration item or repair job package showing all elements of the program, including non-destructive examination and heat treatment
- NDE procedures and evidence that NDE personnel are qualified in accordance with the applicable code section and CAN/CGSB-48.9712
- Registered welding procedures (WPS/PQR) and welder performance qualification records reviewed annually
- Records of API 510 and/or API 570 certification, National Board In-Service, Authorized Inspector or Repair course completion, and TSSA Regulatory Requirements training Module 1
- Certificate of Inspection records for each device and evidence of design registration (CRN) for all equipment
- Quality program supplement where the alternate pressure piping inspection process is added to an existing Certificate of Authorization
- Calibration records for NDE equipment, and retained UT reports and RT films per the applicable code
Findings firms get against TSSA
- Qualified personnel performing alternate piping inspections who are contractors rather than employees, contrary to clause 2.1 of Advisory BPV-001-23 which requires them to be an employee of the Certificate of Authorization holder.
- QC Manual does not address the qualification and certification of NDT personnel to CAN/CGSB-48.9712, which the owner/user self-inspection checklist lists as the Canadian jurisdictional requirement.
- Inspector scope mismatch: personnel certified only to API 570 signing off on vessel work, where API 570 alone supports piping only.
- Work performed outside the authorized scope stated on the Certificate of Authorization, or the alternate piping process used without first applying to add it to the scope.
- No quality program supplement added to the existing manual when the alternate piping inspection program was adopted.
- Missing TSSA Regulatory Requirements training Module 1 completion records for personnel signing Alternate Piping Data Forms.
- Boilers or pressure vessels in service without a Canadian Registration Number, which cannot be remedied retroactively by registering equipment already purchased.
- UT reports and RT films not retained for the period the applicable code requires, and NDE equipment calibration records incomplete.
Related: the TSSA overview, outsourced ASNT Level III cover, written practice development, NDT procedure development, a programme gap assessment, interim Level III cover.