2016 Ontario Electrical Safety Awards Celebrate Leaders in Electrical Safety

October 12, 2016

How do you exit a vehicle safely if a powerline hits it? Are the wires in your home safe? How do you spot hazards when installing electrical work?

These questions and more were tackled by this year’s winners of the Ontario Electrical Safety Awards, held recently by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA).

The awards recognize those organizations that have invested in helping keep Ontarians safe from electrical harm. The awards were presented by Brian Bentz, Chair, Electrical Safety Authority Board of Directors, and Marie-France Lalonde, Minister of Government and Consumer Services.

This year Scott Saint, ESA’s Chief Public Safety Officer, gave special recognition to the contributors of the Ontario Electrical Safety Report for their commitment to electrical safety through the sharing of important electrical safety data and health information.

The 2016 award recipients are

• Worker Safety — Eaton Electrical Services & Systems for its dedication to worker safety through the development of the “I Choose Zero” program, which aims to achieve zero lost time injuries and improve overall worker safety in their workplace and in their homes. The program includes mentor training programs for new hires and ongoing health and safety education to foster a strong safety culture. Eaton Electrical Services & Systems achieved one million hours without a lost time injury from August 2015 to January 2016.

• Consumer and Home Safety — Birnie Electric, for its ongoing efforts to educate consumers on electrical safety issues in the home with their CurrentSAFE program. Since 2010, the CurrentSAFE program has been educating homeowners about the dangers of degraded electrical systems and providing solutions to address electrical hazards. Through this program, Birnie Electric has demonstrated a strong commitment to safety, reaching hundreds of homeowners across the province by working with community safety partners to deliver public seminars on electrical safety and fire prevention.

• Powerline Safety — Toronto Hydro, which partnered with Toronto Fire Services (TFS) to create a mock accident scene using a practice car and a hydro pole complete with wires placed on the hood of the car. The scene provided a realistic and compelling image of what TFS and utility crews respond to when a vehicle collides with a hydro pole. The media was educated about the proper steps to take, including staying in the car and calling 911. The demonstration also addressed how to safely evacuate in the event that the downed wires cause a fire and it’s no longer safe to stay in the vehicle.

• Chief Public Safety Officer’s Special Recognition Award — contributors to the Ontario Electrical Safety Report (OESR) for their ongoing commitment to sharing integral safety and incident data. Contributors include the Office of the Chief Coroner, Ministry of Labour, Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal and Emergency Management, Canadian Institute for Health Information, Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. The OESR is the only report of its kind that provides a comprehensive overview of electrical safety in Ontario. The data provided by its contributors enable ESA and others to develop evidence-based strategies and programs to target areas of highest risk.

New this year, ESA also presented Honourable Mention distinctions to two well-deserving safety partners:

• Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) Joint Task Force for their efforts to ensure the amendment for the expansion of Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters in the Canadian Electrical Code

• Fermar Paving Ltd. for the development and implementation of a safety program that requires a box buzzer system to be installed on all dump trucks entering their work sites

The awards were established seven years ago to formally recognize the important contributions of individuals and organizations toward achieving ESA’s vision of an Ontario where people can live, work and play safe from electrical harm.