Minister of Consumer Services Joins Celebration of Outstanding Electrical Safety Leaders

ESA Honours the 2012 Ontario Electrical Safety Awards Recipients;

Gives Special Recognition to Toronto Transit Commission Bus Driver

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Sept. 26, 2012 /CNW/ - Protecting Ontarians from electrical hazards is a collective endeavour. Each year, a few remarkable individuals and organizations stand out with incredible achievements in advancing electrical safety and demonstrating their firm commitment to building a safety culture across the province.  Today, the 2012 Ontario Electrical Safety Awards were presented to recognize and applaud outstanding contributions in four categories.

Ontario's Minister of Consumer Services, the Honourable Margarett Best joined John Wiersma, Chair of the Board, and David Collie, President and CEO of the Electrical Safety Authority in presenting the awards to the 2012 recipients:

• Consumer/Home Safety - Enersource Mississauga - for on-going public outreach with its innovative and engaging e-SMARTkids website that provides students, teachers and families with important information on electrical safety and energy efficiency.
  
  
• Powerline Safety - Burlington Hydro - for its unwavering commitment to powerline electrical safety with targeted programs and awareness campaigns for elementary students, businesses and trades, as well as its own employees.
  
  
• Worker Safety - Electrical Safety for Emergency Responders Committee - for spearheading the development of a best practices handbook for emergency responders to prepare them to recognize and manage potential electrical hazards in rescue and fire situations. The project committee was a  collaboration by Hydro One Networks Inc, the Public Services Health & Safety Association and the Office of the Fire Marshal.
  
  
• Product Safety - Doug Geralde - Canadian Standards Association - for his career-long dedication to product safety on a national scale,
  his leadership in the Anti-Counterfeiting Network along with his work on root cause analysis and investigations into product failures.

The annual event also provided a timely opportunity to bestow a Special Recognition by the Chief Public Safety Officer to Ms. Ewa Kozlowska of the Toronto Transit Commission. The Special Recognition was bestowed for her outstanding leadership and the life-saving actions she took to protect TTC passengers and the surrounding community from grave electrical hazards when powerlines disabled the bus she was driving on August 20^st this year.

"Every year, we get closer to achieving our mission of eliminating electrical fatalities and serious injuries in Ontario. Once again, award winners and their organizations exemplify the leadership, innovation and determination that are needed to protect us from electrical hazards and make us all that much safer," said Doug Crawford, Chief Public Safety Officer, Electrical Safety Authority. "We are very proud of the Electrical Safety Awards program, a unique platform to formally acknowledge the significant contributions of so many toward our shared goal."

Established three years ago, by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), the awards formally recognize the significant contributions made by many people and organizations to reduce electrical fatalities, serious injuries and loss.

The Electrical Safety Authority
The Electrical Safety Authority's (ESA) role is to enhance public electrical safety in Ontario. As a delegated 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.

Image with caption: "(L-R) Deputy Minister Giles Gherson; Fred McLennan, Office of Fire Marshal; Manfred Erhardt, Hydro One; Doug Crawford, Electrical Safety Authority(ESA); Ed Godden, Public Services Health & Safety Association; Ewa Kozlowska, Toronto Transit Commission; Doug Geralde, CSA Group; Honourable Margarett Best, Minister Consumer Services; Dan Guatto & Jennifer Smith, Burlington Hydro; Bernie Haines & Karen Ras, Enersource; John Wiersma, ESA Chair; & David Collie, President & CEO, ESA. Minister Best, joined ESA's 2012 Electrical Safety Awards to honour companies & individuals for their electrical safety achievements, and Special Recognition to Ewa Kozlowska, the TTC driver that saved passengers after powerlines landed on her bus.(Canadian Press Images PHOTO/ESA) (CNW Group/Electrical Safety Authority)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120926_C2057_PHOTO_EN_18555.jpg

SOURCE: Electrical Safety Authority

Kara Fraser/ Nancy Evans
Electrical Safety Authority
905-712-5387/905-712-7867
[email protected]/[email protected]
www.esasafe.com