Unqualified Hamilton Contractor Convicted Again for Operating without Proper Certification

Unqualified Hamilton Contractor Convicted Again for Operating without Proper Certification

Technician pleads guilty, gets $20K fine, 18 months probation and 80 hours community service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Hamilton, ON, December 17, 2019) – The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) has successfully prosecuted an unlicensed Hamilton gas technician for the second time in five years for installing a natural gas heating appliance without holding a valid TSSA certificate.

In 2016, Mr. Robert Spearing (operating as Robert Calloway and under the company name Jeny’s Home Comfort) was hired to install three natural gas water heaters at a commercial property. When the work was not completed and repeated attempts to contact Mr. Spearing failed, the customer alerted TSSA. At that point, it became clear to all parties that Mr. Spearing had not been licensed to work in the province of Ontario as a gasfitter since 2013 – this was the basis for a prior conviction of Mr. Spearing, operating as Blue Flame Inspections Services, in 2014.

After pleading guilty on September 9, 2019, Mr. Spearing was convicted of installing a gas appliance without holding the proper certificate, and then sentenced by the Ontario Court of Justice in Hamilton, with a $20,000 fine, plus the mandatory 25 per cent victim surcharge, in addition to 18 months of probation and 80 hours of community service.

“Anyone installing, repairing or servicing fuel-fired appliances must possess a valid TSSA certification and be registered as a contractor which ensures they are qualified to perform the work safely,” said John Marshall, Director of TSSA’s Fuels Safety Program.

If in doubt of a technician’s certification, contact TSSA toll-free at 1-877-682-8772.

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For more information, please contact:

Alexandra Campbell

Vice President, Communications and Stakeholder Relations

Technical Standards and Safety Authority

Telephone: 416-734-6227

Email: media@tssa.org

For more information on the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, please visit www.tssa.org.