About the Ontario Electrical Safety Report (OESR)
The Electrical Safety Authority’s (ESA’s) Ontario Electrical Safety Report (OESR) was created to provide a comprehensive perspective of electrical fatalities, injuries, and incidents in Ontario. Data presented in this report come from multiple sources, investigations, and root-cause analyses. Information is provided on potential electrical risks and high-risk sectors. This report is used by the ESA and others to better understand the dynamics of electrical safety and to encourage the development of initiatives to improve the status of electrical safety in the province.
The OESR would not be possible without the collaboration of our safety partners: the Office of the Chief Coroner, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management, the Canadian Institute of Health Information, and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario.
This 22nd report on the state of electrical safety in Ontario summarizes electrical incidents, electrical-related fatalities identified by the Office of the Chief Coroner, and injuries of an electrical nature. It also provides information on deaths, injuries, and damage caused by fire incidents identified by the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFMEM), as well as fires and fire fatalities identified by local fire departments where electricity was identified as the ignition fuel and/or electrical distribution equipment was identified as the ignition source. The purpose of this report is to provide stakeholders within the broad electrical safety system with an update and a longitudinal perspective of electrical safety in Ontario.
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2022 Summary
The OESR continues to track a five-year average rate of electrocution and burn fatalities and electrical fire fatalities, and this 2022 report has this average rate falling slightly. While progress has been made to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries, there has been a shift, and increase, to the number of non-occupational electrical fatalities. Concerted efforts remain essential for rates to continue to decrease, maintaining focus on worker safety, while reminding the public of potential electrical harms.
Worker Safety
Download brochure: Electrical-related fatalities and injuries at work
Electrical Distribution Equipment Safety
Download brochure: Fatalities and contacts with electrical distribution equipment
2022 OESR Appendices
Previous Reports
Ontario Electrical Safety Report 2021
Ontario Electrical Safety Report 2020
Ontario Electrical Safety Report 2019