Electrical Safety Authority Hosts 2018 Ontario Electrical Safety Awards
Ontario safety leaders Captain Electric, Simeon Go and the City of London recognized
for excellence in electrical safety
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 28, 2018 /CNW/ - Yesterday, the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) held its Annual Meeting and Ontario Electrical Safety Awards to celebrate achievements in electrical safety. The award recipients – a municipality, a utility worker and a Licensed Electrical Contractor – illustrated that electrical safety is a shared responsibility that touches all individuals and organizations across the province.
The Awards were presented by the Honourable Todd Smith, Minister of Government and Consumer Services and Government House Leader, and Brian Bentz, Chair, Electrical Safety Authority Board of Directors in the categories of Worker Safety, Consumer and Home Safety and Powerline Safety. This year Scott Saint, ESA's Chief Public Safety Officer, 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:
Worker Safety: City of London, Facilities Division – for their 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. They recognize the value that this maintenance program has on their ability to provide the highest level of safety for not only their workers, but for members of the public that visit that their 200 community buildings every day.
Consumer and Home Safety: Captain Electric – a Licensed Electrical Contractor for their dedication to improving electrical safety in their community by raising consumer awareness on 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 that can prevent electrical fires. They share their knowledge through community safety seminars, customer information sheets, information on their website, and they have also created a series of You Tube 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 in his community. 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 their 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. This change has resulted in a technological solution that will prevent a stove top electric coil from heating oil to its flashpoint. From now on each new stove must meet the new standard. This change to the standard 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," says Scott Saint, Chief Public Safety Officer, ESA. "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."
The Ontario Electrical Safety Awards were established in 2010 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.
In addition to the awards, ESA's Board Chair, Brian Bentz, and Chief Executive Officer, David Collie, highlighted ESA's fiscal year accomplishments as part of its current corporate strategy: the Harm Reduction Strategy 2.0. For ESA's annual report, visit esasafe.com.
About the Electrical Safety Authority
The Electrical Safety Authority's (ESA's) role is to enhance public electrical safety in Ontario. As an administrative authority acting on behalf of the Government of Ontario, ESA is responsible for administering specific regulations related to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, the licensing of Electrical Contractors and Master Electricians, electricity distribution system safety, and electrical product safety. ESA works extensively with stakeholders throughout the province on education, training and promotion to foster electrical safety across the province. More information on the Electrical Safety Authority can be found at www.esasafe.com, through https://twitter.com/homeandsafety and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ElectricalSafetyAuthority.
SOURCE Electrical Safety Authority
For further information: Electrical Safety Authority Media Relations, 905-712-7819 or [email protected]
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