Over the past decade across Ontario, 19 people lost their lives because of accidental contact with a live powerline. There were 1,393 overhead powerline contacts in Ontario in total.
Workplace contacts occurred most frequently on construction sites, where there is increased exposure to and interaction with powerlines in the daily work environment. Workers in the haulage industry, excavation (backhoe, hydro vacs etc.) and aerial lifting (boom trucks & cranes) are the most at risk.
A recent survey by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) found that more than 67% of construction workers in Ontario either do not know or believe that orange cover-ups on powerlines will protect them from shock. This is a deadly misconception as you, your tools and equipment should always remain a minimum of 3 metres away from overhead powerlines. Orange cover-ups are only to be used for identification purposes only.
We would like your help to raise awareness about the very real dangers powerlines pose.
Powerline Safety Education Module (10-15 mins)
To help keep construction workers safe on the job, ESA has developed a free education module. This can be found at www.ESAsafe.com/construction.
It goes through three scenarios that construction workers may experience while on the job and provides helpful pointers that can keep them and their colleagues safe:
Free Safety Materials Available
ESA has also developed a wide variety of free materials to raise awareness and keep workers safe around powerlines, including booklets, stickers, ladder tags and more.
Please fill out this online form to order printed safety materials or access downloadable files. Quantities are limited and available on a first come first served basis.
Source : Electrical Safety Authority
materials to raise awareness and keep workers safe around powerlines, including booklets, stickers, ladder tags and more.Please fill out this online form to order printed safety materials or access downloadable files. Quantities are limited and available on a first come first served basis.
Source : Electrical Safety Authority
