As May Long Weekend gets Underway, Make your Space a Safe Place

TORONTO, May 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seasons “may” change, but safety remains the same. It’s been a long time coming but the May long weekend is finally upon us and with it the return of many favourite seasonal activities. Your safety partners at the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) and Ontario Poison Centre (OPC) are teaming up to shed light on some of the biggest poisoning risks in and around our homes; often the ones we don’t think of, expect – or even notice.

The good news is that many of these poisonings are preventable.

Make your space a safe place.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Safety
CO – a household poison like many others - can make its way into popular summertime activities such as cottaging, camping, BBQing or RVing.

• Have all fuel-burning appliances inspected annually through the services of a TSSA-registered fuels contractors.
• Have working, certified, CO alarms installed; regularly test and replace them in accordance with manufacturer’s instruction.
• Never use indoors any fuel-burning equipment that is specifically designed and approved for outdoor use only such as generators, portable heaters, BBQs and camping stoves.
• Always keep external exhaust vents – including those at the cottage or your trailer or RV – free of debris or blockages.

If you suspect CO poisoning, get outdoors immediately and call 911.

For additional CO Safety information visit COsafety.ca

Other Poisons
Whether indoors or out, don’t let other potential poisoning hazards that may be in your environment dampen your spirits on these summer days. 

• Keep all cleaning products in their original containers. Never put cleaners in containers used for drinking, like water bottles or pop cans.
• Keep harmful products and medications “locked up tight and out of sight” in a cupboard or container.
• Do not leave weed killers, pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers or other lawn or garden products unattended.
• Know the names of all the plants and trees inside and outside your home.
• Be prepared when hiking or visiting an area where rattlesnakes live. If you hear a rattle, move away from the sound of the snake. Do not try to touch it.
  

If you, your child or anyone in your midst is experiencing suspected poisoning, call OPC toll-free at 1-800-268-9017 or 911 immediately.

For additional poison prevention information visit ontariopoisoncentre.ca

About TSSA
Throughout Ontario, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) administers provincial safety regulations and enhances public safety. TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services includes public education, authorization, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, compliance support, enforcement, and prosecution activities.
www.tssa.org

About Ontario Poison Centre
The Ontario Poison Centre (OPC) is a telephone toxicology consultation service that provides expert poison advice 24 hours a day to the public, emergency service personnel and health-care professionals across the province. The OPC supports in the ongoing care of the poisoned patient by following the clinical course of hospitalization, assessing the effectiveness of treatment recommendations and providing additional antidote recommendations. Our toxicology experts also work collaboratively alongside other healthcare professionals to support safe, evidence-informed, and patient-centered care for poisoned patients. The OPC is operated and supported by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. 
www.ontariopoisoncentre.ca

For more information, please contact:

TSSA: 
Ammara Khan 
Director, Communications
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Telephone: 416-734-2728
Email: media@tssa.org
For more information on TSSA visit www.tssa.org

OPC:
Chad Larabie
Knowledge Translation Program Manager, Public
Ontario Poison Centre
Email: chad.larabie@sickkids.ca

For more information on OPC visit ontariopoisoncentre.ca

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

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Media Release

Media Release

Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) and Ontario Poison Centre (OPC)

Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) and Ontario Poison Centre (OPC)

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