Electrical Safety In Canada

Peter Marcucci

Chief Public Safety Officer

Electrical Safety Authority

• Who Is the Electrical Safety Authority

• Ontario Annual Safety Report

• Electrical Product Safety

• ESFI Canada

Electrical Safety Authority

ESA is a stand-alone, financially self-sustaining not-for-profit corporation accountable to:

a Board of Directors comprised of representatives from the many stakeholders interested in ensuring public electrical safety

ESA operates as a Delegated Administrative Authority under the Ministry of Consumer Services through the Safety & Consumer Statutes Administration Act, 1996 (SCSAA).

Under this model, the Ministry retains

overall accountability and control of the

legislation and regulations.

DAAs carry out daily functions that

promote public safety and consumer

protection while regulating and

monitoring business practices within

their respective industries.

For Your Safety 4

As an administrative authority ESA has been delegated the administration of Ontario’s electrical safety requirements in

accordance with the Electricity Act and the Safety and Consumer Statutes Act.

ESA’s mandate: Administer Part VIII, section 113 of the Electricity Act and corresponding Regulations, including;

Ontario Electrical Safety Code (164/99); Provincial Electrical Contractor Licensing

(570/05); Electrical Distribution Safety (22/04); Product Safety (438/07).

Driven to Reduce Electrical Risks

For Your Safety 5

Mission: To improve electrical safety for the well-being of the people of Ontario.

Vision: An Ontario free of electrical fatalities and serious injury, damage or loss.

What do we do?

• Administer the Electrical Safety Code and inspect electrical installations in Ontario

• License Electrical Contractors and Master Electricians

• Administer an Objective Based Electrical Utility Regulation

• Standards and guidelines development

• Conduct safety research and analysis

• Training, education and Public Awareness

• Investigation and Enforcement Actions as required

• Collaborate with other like minded organizations to improve electrical safety

2000-2004

2001-2005

2002-2006

2003-2007

2004-2008

2005-2009

2006-2010

2007-2011

2008-2012

2009-2013

2010-2014

Circuit Wiring - Aluminum, Copper (inc conductors) 205.4 205.8 207.8 205.8 207.8 203.2

Distribution Equipment (includes panel boards,fuses, circuits)

144.4 140.4 130.8 124.6 113.2 108.2

Cord, Cable for Appliance, Electrical Articles 108.8 111.4 109.2 109.2 107.2 107

Other Electrical Distribution Item 110.2 108.4 107 99.8 99.8 99.4

Terminations - Aluminum, Copper (inc receptacles,switches, lights)

106.8 102.4 91.2 91.6 86.8 81.6

Extension Cord, Temporary Wiring 74.2 79.8 82.2 80.4 78 76.4

Service/Utility Lines (includes power/hydrotransmission lines)

49.8 53.8 50.8 47.2 44.2 42.4

Transformer 30.2 33.4 30.4 29.4 28.8 29

Aging Infrastructure Overall 830 836 809 788 766 747 719 679 629 584 552

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Aging Infrastructure Goal: 30% reduction in five-year average for electrical fires related

to distribution equipment

Electrocution and Fire Fatalities Summary 2000-2009

Overview of Electrical Safety in Canada

• Electrical safety has been steadily improving in Canada, but will still have some work to do.

• The rate of electrocutions and electrically related fire fatalities rates are roughly equally

• Your are more likely to be electrocuted while at work

• You are more likely to die as a result of an electrically related fire at home

Priority Electrical Safety Harms Powerline contact

• Accounted for almost half of all electrocutions

• Non-electrical workers and the general public are most at risk.

Serious injuries and incidents to electrical workers

• Fatalities to the electrical trade accounted for 22% of all occupational fatalities

• Six fold increase in critical injuries involving electricians

• Unsafe work practices when working on live electrical installations.

Misuse of electrical products, unapproved, or counterfeit products

• The use or misuse with these types of products have resulted in over 1000 fires annually and are responsible for an average of five fatalities annually.

• fires primarily caused by misuse of stove-top equipment; leaving cooking unattended results in fires that often end with fatalities.

Reducing electrical contact and fires in older building and electrical infrastructure

• Fires in older buildings account for roughly 1000 fires and result in five fatalities annually.

• Older residential facilities with less safety protection than new ones (e.g. GFCIs) have resulted in two deaths in the past five years.

What do we do Product Safety

• Receive product safety incidents

• Data gathering

• Investigate and conduct risk assessment

• Work with retailers, manufacturers, and certification bodies to resolve issue

• Issue public safety notifications

• Monitor product recall effectiveness

• Standards development

• Public education and awareness

• Marketplace surveillance and enforcement

Most Common Reported Hazards

Type of hazard Total %

Fire 323 39.34 %

Shock 78 9.50 %

Burn 23 2.80 %

Fire, Shock 13 1.58 %

Mechanical 13 1.58 %

Laceration 9 1.10 %

Fire & Burn 3 0 .37 %

Chemical 2 0.24 %

Overheating 7 0.85 %

Injury 5 0.61 %

2010 Distribution of Incidents by Product Type

• Large Appliances (e.g. Ovens, Freezers, Clothing Washers/Dryers) 166

• Small Appliances (e.g. Blenders, Coffee Makers, Curling Irons, Kettles, Vacuums) 157

• Lighting Products 103

• Industrial Products 61

• Wiring Products 34

• Health & Sciences Products 30

• Energy 28

• HVAC Products 23

• Pool & Spa Equipment (e.g. Hot Tubs, Pool/Spa Accessories) 20

• High Technology Products 12

• Components 7

• Security & Signaling Products 5

• Commercial Appliances (e.g. Water Coolers, Tanning Beds) 3

• Fireplaces 3

• Extension Cords 1

• Heaters, Electrical 1

• Other 150

High Risk Incidents • Unapproved generators

• GFCI Receptacles

• Toasters

• Rotary and Toggle Disconnect Switches

• Humidifiers

• Stoves

• Power Bar and Electrical Cord

• Unapproved Hair Straightener

• Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb

• Refrigerators

• Aquarium lamp

• Unapproved Infrared Sauna

High risk Incidents

• Extension Cord

• Lava Lamp

• Christmas Decoration

• Christmas Lights

• Heat Recovery Ventilators

• Unsafe 6-foot, 9-foot and 12-foot Household Extension Cords

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ESA’s Commitment to a National System

• Historically electrical product safety has fallen within provincial/ territorial jurisdiction and has been managed by the individual provinces and territories through the adoption of the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) by provincial and territorial governments.

• While ESA has been mandated to deal with electrical product safety in Ontario ESA’s recognizes that product safety is a national issue affecting all Canadians

• ESA recognizes that a sustainable solution to the problem must include other provincial/territorial regulators and the federal government

• ESA committed to working with other regulators to create a national approach to this issue to: – reduce potential conflicts for industry;

– reduce duplication and streamline processes; and

– to ensure a consistent approach across the country.

ESA chairs a working NPSAC working group to further to goal of a national system for managing product safety.