Propane Safety

There are additional safety regulations for LPG-fuelled vehicles required by respective government fuel authorities. In the past, at least in Ontario, propane conversions have had a bad reputation for cars blowing up due to poor quality, unsafe installations. As a result, installation and safety regulations were written to eliminate these dangers.

In Ontario, only licensed propane conversion and repair centers are permitted to perform installations of and repairs to propane fuel systems. The government strongly discourages the do-it-yourself approach. However, we recognize that people often do whatever they want and sometimes just to spite authority. In some places, conversion regulations are not commonly known and people who are intent on doing a conversion are on their own. We feel that if you are intent on doing a DIY propane conversion, you should be aware of the regulations and do all work to the letter of the regulations. Use Ontario's regulations if you cannot find one for your area. A lot of thought has gone into the regulations and you should not lightly ignore them. A propane-fuelled vehicle is not and cannot be dangerous if there is no fuel in the vehicle. Only when the fuel is present is there a possibility of fire or explosion due to improper installation. Anyone can go to a junkyard, pull an entire propane fuel system, and install it. Sloppy or improper workmanship can turn it into a deathtrap. Whatever you do, do NOT fill the tank with fuel unless it has been inspected and certified to be a proper conversion.

For reference, we suggest that you study the regulations and understand them completely before undertaking any sort of LPG system installation or repair. It also makes for some excellent bedtime reading. Not only is it important to understand the how's of the propane systems but also the why's as well. Although your jurisdiction will have its own regulations, vehicles converted to Ontario standards should not be far off from meeting the regulations in other areas. As a starting point, every vehicle should meet overall vehicle safety standards as specified in Ontario vehicle safety inspection regulations.

Also, Ontario has adopted propane installation from the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) code known as CSA B149.5, Installation Code for Propane Fuel Systems and Tanks on Highway Vehicles. This code is available for purchase from CSA. Propane conversion systems need to be installed in accordance with Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) Ontario Regulation 211/01. O. Reg. 211/01 enforces the Code Adoption Document (CAD) also available from their website. The CAD adopts the CSA B149.5-10 Installation Code for Propane Fuel Systems and Tanks on Highway Vehicles with ammendments.

There are courses available for those people seriously interested in propane conversions. Ontario's certificate course for propane mechanics is known as Internal Combustion for Alternate Fuel (ICE-P). Although geared towards certified motor vehicle mechanics, it is possible for the general public to take this course. At this time, it is not commonly offered in southern Ontario colleges but those people living in Toronto would be able to take the course at Centennial College. Unfortunately, at this time very few schools seem to be offering any sort of LPG conversion training in the USA.