Electrical Safety Authority launches multifaceted efforts to keep children safe

Through online, classroom and face-to-face experiences, children learn how to handle electricity safely

MISSISSAUGA, OP, May 8, 2023 /CNW/ – Average Ontario emergency departments treat 177 cases of children with electrical injuries each year. Elementary school age children (5-14 years old) make up 31 percent of those visits. As tablets and mobile phones have become commonplace for children, it is vital that they are taught how to handle electricity safely. To help educate children and keep them safe, the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) has launched a multifaceted effort to reach children, parents and educators online, in the classroom and in person.

“The world has changed and the ways children interact with electricity on a daily basis has increased exponentially,” he said Patience Cathcart, public safety officer, electrical safety authority. “This means the potential for harm has increased and we need to help children – and the adults around them – learn to stay safe and use electricity with care.”

Through three new programs, children in Ontario will be able to learn important information about electrical safety.

1. E-smart kids: An interactive online platform featuring electrical safety videos, games, activity pages and other information to teach kids about how electricity moves, the dangers of power lines, how to conduct an electrical safety inspection in your home and more. There are also resources for teachers and parents who want to involve children in this important safety issue.

2. Electricity – Close the Circuit workshops: ESA partners with Scientists in School to deliver this workshop to Year 6 students in 30 classrooms Ontario in 2023. These workshops will help 720 vulnerable children acquire and develop essential skills related to electricity that will keep them safe and prepared for the future.

3. Peel Security Village: Parents and children can visit the educational center to view the ESA miniature building, designed to help children understand the risks associated with electricity through experiential learning. Programming includes an interactive experience that identifies electrical safety hazards. From mid-2023, children will soon be able to experience the Electrical Safety Authority House in the Peel Safety Village.

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“Thank you to ESA for joining us on our journey to get kids excited about science. Together we are providing meaningful, interactive, hands-on experiences for hundreds of vulnerable children in Ontario. We believe that knowledge is power, and thanks to a great collaboration project with ESA and Patience Cathcart, we’ve created a powerful, educational video material that will help parents, teachers and children understand how electricity affects our lives, and more importantly, how to stay safe! ” – Cindy Adamsexecutive director, School of Scientists

“Peel Regional Police are delighted to be working with the Electrical Safety Authority to provide a new, interactive electrical safety component. This will enhance our current programs and educate students about electrical safety. It is collaborations with dedicated partners such as ESA that we are able to engage with our youth and their families to ensure the safety and well-being of our community.” – Deputy Chief Mark DapatCommand Company Services, Regional Police Peel

About the Electrical Safety Authority

The role of the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is to improve public electrical safety Ontario. Acting as a governing body 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, the safety of electrical distribution systems, and the safety of electrical products. ESA works extensively with stakeholders across the province in education, training and promotion to promote electrical safety across the province.

More information about the Electrical Safety Authority can be found at www.esasafe.com, via https://twitter.com/homeandsafety and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ElectricalSafetyAuthority.

SOURCE Electrical Safety Authority

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