Electrical Safety Authority Issues 2018 Ontario Electrical Safety Awards

Oct 5, 2018

A municipality, a utility worker and a licensed electrical contractor were all recognized as safety leaders by Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) at its annual meeting on September 28. (Shown in photo: award winners with Todd Smith, Minister, Government and Consumer Services and Government House Leader (far, right) Brian Bentz, ESA Board Chair (far, left) and Scott Saint, ESA’s Chief Public Safety Officer (second in, far right). (CNW Group/Electrical Safety Authority.)

This year ESA Chief Public Safety Officer Scott Saint gave special recognition to the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council Working Group for Stove Top Fires. The working group developed a change to the standard that requires all new electric coil element stoves have a built-in safety feature that prevents the coil from heating beyond the flashpoint of cooking oil — significantly reducing stove top fires. 

The 2018 award recipients are as follows:

• Worker safety — City of London, Facilities Division for its rapid response to the worst flooding in decades that occurred when the Thames River overflowed into parts of the city in early 2018. The city was able to maintain public electrical safety in their municipal buildings while facilities staff worked to repair damaged electrical equipment. The City of London’s robust preventative maintenance program was the reason they were able to act so quickly.

• Consumer and home safety — Captain Electric, a licensed electrical contractor for its dedication to improving electrical safety by raising consumer awareness of electrical hazards and sharing electrical safety information. Captain Electric created an innovative and engaging outreach to educate consumers about the critical role licensed electrical contractors play in electrical safety. They further advocate for the use of safety devices such as ground fault circuit interrupters. The company shares knowledge through community safety seminars, customer information sheets, information on its website, and has also created a series of YouTube videos. 

• Powerline safety — Simeon Go, for his 35-year commitment to keeping workers safe by providing powerline safety training to local distribution company employees, licensed electrical contractors, first responders and consumers. Mr. Go has dedicated his career to developing safety training policies and procedures with the goal of preventing powerline incidents. He trains first responders annually and provides electrical safety seminars to members of the community.

• Chief Public Safety Officer’s Special Recognition Award — The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office’s Public Fire Safety Council Working Group for Stove Top Fires, for members’ long-term commitment to reducing stove top fire incidents. The working group spent the last 10 years working to achieve a change to the standard for electric coil stove tops, which has resulted in a technological solution that each new stove must meet. This change will potentially impact over 30 million consumers and possibly eliminate the occurrence of stove top fires.

“At ESA we know that safety is not a sprint but a marathon,” said Scott Saint at the awards ceremony. “The safety leaders we honoured today have demonstrated that prevention can have a significant and long term effect on public safety, but it requires a sustained effort. We share their remarkable accomplishments with the hope that others will strive to make their own contribution to making a safer Ontario.”