A recently released report from the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) states that electricity-related deaths in Ontario declined 38 per cent the past five years.
Despite the positive trend, the organization cautioned that too many Ontarians — especially electrical workers —are dying from electrical accidents which is why having proper OHS electrical safety trainingis important.
Electrical tradespeople accounted for 29% of all electrical-related fatalities in the workplace between 2003 and 2012, and they continue to be critically injured on the job when working on energized electrical panels or ballasts/347V lighting. The number of fatalities for the utility worker sector has increased. Due to small numbers, it is not possible to report this as a trend, but it is an area for increased surveillance.
“Where we’re not so pleased is when we look at the electrical workers,” said Dr. Joel Moody, the author of the report. “They continue to get critically injured on the job, particularly when they’re working around energized panels or commercial lighting systems.
“That number is not coming down like we’d like it.”
ESA uses the incident data in the OESR to identify those areas that present the greatest risk to Ontarians, to track changes in incident data, and to identify emerging trends.
Based on data collected over the past ten years, ESA has identified that over 70% of all electrical injuries and fatalities occur in four specific areas. These areas have been identified as priorities for reducing electrical fatalities, serious injuries, damage and loss in Ontario.
- Powerline contact accounted for almost half of all electrical-related fatalities in the past ten years.
- Electrical workers accounted for 14% of all occupational fatalities between 2008 and 2012. There are at least two critical injuries to electricians each year. Safety incidents tend to be associated with unsafe work practices.
- Misuse of electrical products and unapproved or counterfeit products account for a significant number of safety incidents. More than 900 fires and an average of six fatalities each year. These fires are mainly caused by the misuse of stove-top equipment where unattended cooking has resulted in fire fatalities.
- Electrical infrastructure fires in buildings, such as detached residential structures accounted for roughly 750 fires and an average of four fatalities annually
The ESA completes the report with data from various sources. These include the Coroner, Ministry of Labour (MOL), the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC), the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM), and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario (WSIB). ESA cross-references the data with the Coroner reports, the OFM’s report and ESA’s root-cause investigation data to ensure accuracy and understanding of the incidents. Data on non-serious incidents is taken as provided.
To read the full report click here.