Your Safety Check

Roller coasters, revolving rides, bungee rides, go-karts, waterslides, inflatable air bouncers – these are just some examples of amusement devices covered by Ontario safety legislation, and must be in compliance with the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000 and Amusement Device Regulation 221/01.

Similar to your vehicle’s permit and your driver’s licence, an amusement device that is used by the public must have a valid permit, and the operator must have a valid licence. These permits and licences, issued by the Technical Standards & Safety Authority (TSSA), are valid in the province of Ontario and require annual renewal.

Amusement devices are inspected by trained inspectors, and prior to use are subjected to a review by a Professional Engineer for compliance to the required codes and standards.

As an event organizer you need to ensure that the company providing your amusement devices can provide you with proof of the required safety documents (PDF: 346 KB).

What Does “Used By the Public” Mean?

Examples of public events include, but are not limited to:

• shopping mall parking lots
• school playgrounds
• amusement parks
• public parks
• church picnics

The exchange of money makes no difference. Patrons do not have to be paying customers for the law to apply.

The only exemption from this legal requirement falls into a very small, but specific condition where the users of the device are limited to those of a ”private event“ and the device is found in a person‘s backyard.