Fewer permanent injuries and decreased incident rates reported amidst Ontario’s population growth
TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2024 /CNW/ – While Ontario’s population continues to grow, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) has reported improvements in safety outcomes over the past decade. The latest safety results, highlighted in TSSA’s Public Safety Report 2024, underscore decreased permanent injuries and incident rates within TSSA’s regulated sectors. Released during TSSA’s Annual Public Meeting alongside its 2024 Annual Report, the safety report highlights an improving safety environment across the province.
“Ontario’s population has seen significant growth in the past 10 years, and our regulated industries have been working hard to improve safety. TSSA is committed to ensuring that public safety continues to be a priority by partnering with regulated parties to reduce the risk of harm for people in Ontario. This year’s safety results demonstrate this continued commitment is delivering its intended outcome,” said Viola Dessanti, Director of Strategic Analytics, TSSA.
State of Safety Overview
As Ontario’s public safety regulator, TSSA oversees technical safety regulations in key sectors, including amusement devices, boilers, pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. TSSA’s Public Safety Report provides comprehensive metrics and data insights to inform its strategies to enhance public safety in the province.
For the reporting period (May 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024, which will be referred to as 2024 hereinafter), the number of permanent injuries on regulated devices in Ontario has dropped notably. In 2024, there were 32 per cent fewer permanent injuries reported compared to 2015, after adjusting for population growth.
The rate of incidents per million people has also improved compared to 10 years ago. Despite a 16 per cent growth in Ontario’s population from 2015 to 2024, the incident rate decreased from 389 incidents per million people in 2015 to 384 incidents per million people in 2024.
The reduction of harm is most notable in fuels, where the number of fuels-related incidents, excluding pipeline strikes, have decreased from 81 incidents per million people in 2015 to 59 incidents per million people in 2024.
Outcome-Based Regulator Continues to Advance Safety Results
TSSA’s Outcome-Based Regulator (OBR) approach is central to advancing safety and compliance, with compliance standards as a key tool to target areas of high risk and prioritize regulatory efforts. In May 2023, TSSA introduced new compliance standards for escalators, with pass rate reaching 64 per cent over the year. The compliance standards for heating contractors, also implemented over the past year, recorded a 90 per cent pass rate of audits performed.
“TSSA is proud to report improved safety outcomes while executing our new Strategic Plan. These results demonstrate that our outcome-focused vision is effective and reaffirm the value of our collaborative approach in working towards a safer Ontario,” said Bonnie Rose, President and CEO, TSSA.
“Our new strategy will continue to guide us toward better safety outcomes, building on the significant progress TSSA has made in recent years. Our team’s hard work in implementing new IT systems and addressing recommendations from the Auditor General is paying off. We now have a much stronger foundation to improve customer service and safety results,” added Rose.
For a full picture of the state of public safety in Ontario, access TSSA’s 2024 Public Safety Report at www.tssa.org. The report also includes case studies depicting some of the harmful incidents that occurred in Ontario in the past year, as well as actions taken and lessons learned.
About TSSA
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is one of Ontario’s public safety regulators mandated by the Government of Ontario to enforce provincial safety regulations and enhance public safety. Throughout Ontario, TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services include public education and consumer information, certification, licensing and registration, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, safety management consultation, compliance support and enforcement and prosecution activities. The organization’s vision is to be a valued advocate and recognized authority in public safety.
SOURCE Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA)
