TSSA licence (Technical Standards and Safety Authority)

Ontario’s Act applies to amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels and operating engineers, and a business working with any of them may need an authorization before it operates. A buyer should check these during due diligence, because TSSA says licences do not transfer with a change of ownership.

How it works

Section 6(1) of the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000 says that, except as provided in the regulations, a Minister’s order or an alternate rule, a person is required to obtain an authorization before carrying out the activities, or operating or otherwise dealing with the things, that the regulations, a Minister’s order or an alternate rule identify as requiring one. TSSA’s change of ownership page says regulated operators can transfer the ownership of a licensed facility, but licences are not transferable and the onus to apply for a new licence falls on the new owner.

Other provinces

This is Ontario’s regime. In British Columbia, for example, Technical Safety BC oversees gas technologies under the Safety Standards Act and the Gas Safety Regulation. Check the regime in any other province where the business operates.

What to ask

• Which TSSA licences, registrations or certificates the business holds, and for which sites and equipment.
• Which change of ownership forms apply to each kind of equipment.
• Whether the buyer can operate during the application period, which depends on the specific regulation.

Use the licence and permit transfer checklist and read fuel handling licence.