Business Safety

Food Truck Safety

Mobile food service equipment (MFSE), commonly known as ‘food trucks’, is mobile equipment with fuel-fired cooking facilities for preparing and selling food. Examples of food trucks include chip wagons, coffee trucks, and hotdog and hamburger carts.

Many food trucks use propane to power ovens, burners, and fryers. Proper and safe installation, maintenance, and operation of this equipment is paramount to avoid risks and hazards such as injury — or even death — from fire, explosion, or carbon monoxide poisoning. Make sure that an appropriately trained worker inspects the propane gas systems in your truck before each use.

In order to operate a MFSE in Ontario you must:

• have a TSSA-issued Mobile Food Service Equipment Field Approval. 
• undergo an annual inspection by a TSSA-certified technician. 

If you need a food truck inspection, use our Find a Registered Fuels Contractor tool to find a contractor near you.

To apply for a Mobile Food Service Equipment Field Approval, visit the Field Approval page. 
 
You can also find answers to frequently asked questions on the same page. 

• Make sure there is enough ventilation in your food truck before you use propane. 
• Shut the propane tank off at the end of the workday and during breaks.
• Know where the gas lines are located inside your truck so that you don’t accidentally damage them when you move kitchen appliances.
• Contact a qualified propane service retailer to connect tanks to your food truck appliances.
• Understand the markings on your propane cylinders. Known how to read the symbols that show what type of tank you have, the original manufacture date, and the re-certification date. Don’t use your cylinders beyond their certified number of years.
• When your propane cylinder is not connected to your food truck, it is “in storage.” It is important that you store this propane safely. Learn how to transport and store propane.

Safely Using Generators

Gasoline-powered generators are commonly used to power food truck appliances such as refrigerators. These generators can present a risk of gasoline fires, burns from hot engine parts, electrical shock, and carbon monoxide poisoning. 

• If your food truck uses a gas-powered generator, never operate it inside the truck. 
• Always use a carbon monoxide detector to check air quality levels
• Don’t store extra gasoline for the generator in your food truck. Gasoline vapour is heavier than air and can collect and ignite on the floor. Inhaling the gas can also cause headaches.
• Have a licensed electrician install a generator to make sure the equipment and its installation follow local code. Make sure the equipment is properly grounded, and that a proper transfer switch is installed between it and any mobile kitchen equipment it powers.
• Do not overload the generator. Use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to help prevent electrocutions and electrical shock injuries.
• Turn off all appliances that the generator powers before you shut it down.

Training Staff on Propane Safety

• Make sure that anyone who will use propane knows how to safely install and disconnect propane cylinders and test for leaks. 
• To test for leaks, apply a solution of equal parts water and dish soap to all propane cylinder connections and hoses. If bubbles appear, gas may be leaking. Tighten the connection and retest. If bubbles reappear, contact a TSSA-certified technician to repair or replace damaged parts.

Staff working with propane must also know how to:

• Follow emergency procedures.
• Use portable fire extinguishers and extinguishing systems.
• Shut off fuel sources.
• Notify the local fire department.
• Refuel safely.

Dealing With a Propane Leak

Propane smells like rotten eggs. That smell could mean a leak.

• Routinely check the condition of your connections for leaks—every time a new connection is made to any gas system and each time you change a cylinder. 
• Never try to fix a leak yourself. If you suspect a leak, call your supplier immediately. Do not use any appliance connected to a cylinder that you suspect is leaking.

Patio Heater and Outdoor Fireplace Safety

To protect your guests while they enjoy the comfort of your outdoor patio, make sure you:

• Keep propane and gas-powered appliances outside. Patio heaters and outdoor propane or gas fireplaces are designed for outdoor use only.
• Install all equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Never position patio heaters next to or in the path of an exit or obstruct equipment such as fire hydrants or fire department connections. 
• Don’t store propane near operating heaters or smoking areas. For more tips, see Transportation and Fuel Storage.
• Never leave fuel-burning equipment unattended. Use extra caution if there are children or if patrons have been drinking alcohol.
• Never move portable patio heaters while the flame is lit. Make sure the fuel supply is properly shut off, and the unit is cool before you move it. Use caution when you’re moving a propane cylinder, so you don’t drop it or hit it.

Be sure that all staff know how to safely operate patio heaters. In particular, they should understand how to:

• Identify fire hazards.
• Safely light, turn off and move heaters.
• Safely connect, disconnect, move, store and transport propane cylinders.
• Detect leaks in hoses, valves and fittings.
• Prepare equipment for inclement weather.
• Respond to an emergency, including where to find fire extinguishers and how to use them.
• Identify the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning (nausea, dizziness, headache, sore throat, drowsiness).

Landscaping and Excavation Safety

On average, there are nearly 2,500 pipeline strikes a year in Ontario! To help keep everyone safe, don’t dig unless you know the location of nearby underground pipelines. It’s the law.

• Before you do landscaping or excavation work, make sure that someone has made an excavation locate request to ensure that homeowners, excavators, and infrastructure owners stay safe when digging.
  • To obtain a locate, contact Ontario One Call by telephone at 1-800-400-2255, or visit their website at Ontario One Call.
• If you accidentally strike a pipeline:
  • Immediately call 911 and the gas company concerned. 
  • Do not attempt to stop the flow of gas. 
  • Shut off all equipment within the work area and instruct local homeowners to keep doors and windows closed.
  • Keep a distance from the struck pipeline. 
• Do not smoke or use any ignition sources.
  • if you have witnessed a pipeline strike, please call the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy Spills Action Centre (SAC) to report the incident at 1-866-663-8477.

Read more about excavation safety(PDF).