TSSA Requirement to Report Elevator Outages via Portal Takes Effect on July 1
TSSA Requirement to Report Elevator Outages via Portal Takes Effect on July 1
Starting July 1, 2022, owners, and licensees of elevators in residential buildings and long-term care homes are required to report to TSSA elevator outages lasting more than 48 hours. The reporting needs to be completed within 30 days after the day the elevator has returned to service.
An elevator “outage” is defined as: elevators out of service or removed from service for 48 hours or more, elevators out of service for 48 hours or more due to alterations or modernizations, and elevator shutdowns lasting 48 hours or longer due to an “incident.”
According to the TSSA, the data on elevator outages will be used for public reporting purposes and to guide regulatory decisions on elevator safety and availability.
The portal provides the following functions:
- View elevator outage records reported to TSSA
- Report elevator outages
- Correct elevator outage data
- Report Outages by Elevator Owners and Licensees
Only elevator owners and licensees can use the portal to report elevator outages lasting 48 hours or longer; however, anyone can view elevator outage records without logging in to the portal. Elevator users and members of the public will be able to view elevator outage records by:
- Entering the postal code of the residential building where the elevator outage occurred
- Indicating the desired date range during which the elevator outage occurred
The portal will not show real-time information about elevators that are out of service. If elevator users have concerns about the reporting status of an elevator in a residential building that was out of service for 48 hours or longer and more than 30 days have passed since the elevator was returned to service, they are encouraged to contact the elevator owner and ask them to report the outage.
Reporting elevator outages is a regulatory requirement that seeks to enhance the availability, safety, and maintenance of elevators in Ontario. Data collected from elevator outage reports will inform and shape future regulatory decisions.
Accordingly, our management teams have been provided with a standard operating procedure that explains the new requirement to report outages lasting 48 hours or more and documents the reporting process step-by-step. Naturally, we hope outages will be rare but if they occur, we will be sure to report them and assist the TSSA in its effort to improve elevator service and reliability. Crossbridge has also worked with recognized elevating device consultants to update and improve our specifications for elevator maintenance contracts.
Crossbridge shares the frustration felt by the owners and residents of the many condominium communities that have, and are, experiencing elevator outages. Shortages of qualified elevator mechanics, increasingly complex installations, and other factors have plagued the Ontario elevator service industry for well over five years. We were delighted, in 2018, when the province commissioned a study of the issue by retired judge Douglas Cunningham. We hope the Cunningham study and the initiatives by the TSSA will improve elevator safety and reliability.
Links: