This article appeared in the Fall 2025 edition of EDA’s Distributor Magazine. View the full publication here.

At Oshawa Power, a commitment to safety is a core value and foundational part of our organizational philosophy, reinforcing public trust and enhancing quality of life for the people who live and work in our community. Our approach to safety blends proactive educational outreach with rigorous internal safety practices, creating a robust culture of safety that underscores our commitment to keeping every member of our local community and staff safe and sound, every day.

Inspiring Safety Education From a Young Age

Oshawa’s increasing electrical safety awareness begins with our connection to the youth in our community. The cornerstone of our education efforts, our Hazard Hamlet, was introduced in 1983. Regularly appearing at community events and in classrooms across Oshawa for more than 40 years, the interactive display has created lasting memories, inspired curious questions, and raised electrical safety awareness for thousands of kids across Oshawa. Through interactive demonstrations that depict realistic electrical hazards, we are able to actively engage young audiences, teach them how to avoid hazards across our community, raise awareness of the unseen hazards that exist, and impart responsible behaviours around electrical infrastructure. In many cases, the display is recognized by accompanying adults from their youth, confirming the impact our efforts have made in building awareness and a lasting connection within our community. Engagement and understanding of electrical hazard are showing up in requests for more information, and our electrical safety awareness is growing with improvements in our public safety surveys, specifically regarding the safe distance from both overhead and downed wires.

“Our commitment to community safety is fundamentally about trust. When we educate the youngest members of our community, we’re creating a lasting impact that empowers new generations to live safely, treat electricity with respect, and trust our organization to keep our city safe.”

– Daniel Arbour, President & CEO, Oshawa Power

Oshawa Power is listening to our community asking for more information and is also exploring new ways to modernize our safety programming to meet evolving needs. Plans are underway to develop new digital content and interactive online experiences supporting the Hazard Hamlet to ensure safety resources are accessible and available to our community beyond local events and school visits.

Leading by Example

Oshawa Power’s internal practices reflect the same safety principles we promote through education.

This culture of safety is deeply embedded in our daily operations. From regular tailboard meetings and safety audits, to cross-departmental training and leadership engagement, every employee plays a vital role in maintaining our record of excellence. This consistency protects our team while fostering trust in our ability to keep our community safe while delivering a reliable supply of electricity to homes and businesses across Oshawa.

Our organization is also one of only four Ontario utilities with the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association’s COR® Certification. Meeting the requirements for this certification, including passing external audits, ensures that our team is consistently reviewing safety policies and procedures and creating a culture that values open, two-way communications regarding safety practices.

This year, our organization surpassed 1.5 million work hours without a Lost-Time Injury — a remarkable milestone reflecting over seven years of operations without a serious incident. We’re proud to invest that same commitment to safety back into the communities we serve.

Committed to a Safer, Smarter Future

Looking ahead, we continue to develop valuable partnerships with local organizations and educational institutions that allow us to expand the reach of our safety programs, raising awareness across generations and reaching new demographics. Oshawa Power’s commitment to continuous improvement and innovative safety education programs will continue to build strong connections with our community, reaching our city’s youth and their families, fostering a culture of safety that extends beyond our organization and across the City of Oshawa.