ESA’s 2019 Ontario Electrical Safety Report Demonstrates Value of Consistent Data and Analysis to Help Reduce Electrical Harm

October 15, 2020

The Ontario Electrical Safety Report (OESR) is the only document of its kind in Canada and one of the few in the world that compiles and publishes electrical safety data every year. The OESR is recognized as a standard of rigorous safety reporting and offers a comprehensive collection of data and analysis that helps to drive Electrical Safety Authority’s efforts to make Ontario a safer place to live, work and play free from electrical harm.

Each incident means that someone suffered a serious injury, lost a home or business in a fire, or lost a family member due to electrical contact. The information provided by this report demonstrates the value of a consistent and documented source of electrical harm incidents that provides the information needed to identify and focus efforts on areas representing the highest risk. 

“The 2019 OESR shows that fatalities from electrical incidents are rare, but we still have work to do,” said Dr. Joel Moody, Chief Public Safety Officer, Electrical Safety Authority. “Every incident in this report meant a life was changed forever. Until that number is zero, ESA will continue to work to improve electrical safety in Ontario.” 

In Ontario, electrical-related fatalities occur at the rate of less than 1 in a million with a downward trend.  In 2019, Ontario had five fatalities in which four of them involved powerlines.  The risk of fires in aging infrastructure and electrical products remains constant while fire fatalities involving electrical products and electrical equipment have decreased.  Using this valuable information, ESA will target worker and powerline safety in campaigns, and electrical product and product safety initiatives to help reduce electrical incidents over the next year. 

The OESR is compiled with the cooperation and participation from the Office of the Coroner, Ministry of Labour, the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management, the Canadian Institute of Health Information and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario. ESA appreciates the contributions of all of our partners to the report’s content and ultimately to electrical safety in Ontario.

View the 2019 Ontario Electrical Safety Report HERE.

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