Background

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development has identified discrepancies between the year of manufacture displayed on the identification plates of certain heavy equipment and information associated with the equipment product identification number (PIN) or machine serial number. Types of equipment may include:

  • earthmoving and excavation equipment
  • mining equipment
  • roadbuilding and compaction equipment
  • material handling equipment
  • mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs)
  • mobile cranes

Each piece of equipment is generally assigned a unique PIN or machine serial number by the manufacturer. These identifiers correspond to information about the equipment, which may include the:

  • manufacturer
  • model
  • configuration
  • year of manufacture

The specific information associated with a PIN or serial number varies by manufacturer.

Workplace parties with these types of equipment should review available equipment information to determine whether the year of manufacture shown on the equipment identification plate is consistent with information associated with the PIN or machine serial number.

Potential implications

Accurate year of manufacture information may be important for determining equipment age and requirements that are based on the age of equipment.

Inaccurate year of manufacture information may affect:

  • preventive maintenance schedules
  • inspection and testing intervals, including non-destructive testing (NDT) requirements applicable to certain equipment
  • component replacement intervals
  • other legislative or manufacturer requirements that are linked to equipment age

Although the information available to date does not indicate that the identified discrepancies affect the safe operation of the equipment or create an immediate hazard to workers, inaccurate year of manufacture information could affect when age-based inspection, testing, maintenance or component replacement is required over the lifecycle of the equipment.

For example, where inspection or testing requirements are based on equipment age, an inaccurate year of manufacture could result in those activities not being completed at the appropriate time.

Precautions

Where equipment age is relevant to inspection, testing, maintenance or other age-based requirements, workplace parties should consider verifying the year of manufacture using available equipment identification information and supporting documentation.

Information that may assist in verifying the year of manufacture may include:

  • equipment PIN or serial number information
  • manufacturer documentation
  • certification records
  • purchase records
  • maintenance and inspection records
  • other available records associated with the equipment

If there is a discrepancy

Where the year of manufacture displayed on the equipment identification plate is not consistent with information associated with the PIN or serial number, workplace parties should verify the correct year of manufacture. 

This may include contacting the original equipment manufacturer or an authorized dealer and providing the PIN or machine serial number to verify the year of manufacture. Alternatively, workplace parties may engage a qualified engineer or other competent expert with demonstrated knowledge and experience related to the equipment being examined and refer to industry best practices or applicable standards such as Canadian Standards Association (CSA).

Workplace parties should then determine whether the discrepancy affects any applicable inspection, testing, maintenance or other age-based requirements.

Disclaimer

This resource does not replace the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations and should not be used as or considered legal advice. Health and safety inspectors apply and enforce these laws based on the facts they find in the workplace.