Education and Awareness
Annual State of Safety 2024
Training and Education
Our courses are shaped by insights from our clients, safety officers, and incident investigations which help us identify education opportunities. We employ industry leaders with extensive knowledge of regulatory codes and safety best practices to help clients mitigate injuries and identify potential hazards.
106,200
YouTube video views
1,053
registered learners to date
40
educational events
37
in person events
3
virtual town hall events
Responding to Client Needs Through Training
Our training programs are developed to meet the needs of clients, industry representatives, and British Columbians. We use client feedback to inform how we design, test, and improve our educational offerings in response to knowledge gaps or emerging areas of concern. Successful safety engagement must consider the diversity of our partners, so we strive for fair participation to ensure under-represented and excluded groups also have a voice.
In 2024, we continued to offer self-paced, online courses and online-blended formats to deliver education services to our clients, safety partners, and the public.
Additionally, we:
- released three new webinar series, in partnership with BC Hydro, addressing safety concerns regarding popular new green energy initiatives. These webinars, centered around heat pumps and electrical energy management systems, attracted over 800 attendees, engaging British Columbians in the field as well as those without technical background knowledge.
- continued to post and promote education events in our online Learning Centre, allowing for broad access.
- partnered with other organizations such as BC Hydro, The Electrical Contractors Association of BC, and the Canadian Home Builders Association to deliver education events on the topics of heat pump and electrical load management.
- continued delivering many of our popular online programs, such as the Ammonia Safety Awareness program.
- began the revision of the Recognized Training Provider program, establishing a new set of standards and a new process for approving course providers to ensure the highest levels of education possible for certified individuals.
Campaigns and Safety Engagement
In 2024, we continued our commitment to public safety by running campaigns focused on some of BC’s most pressing safety risks. Using incident data and risk assessments, we highlighted public safety risks, such as extreme weather preparedness for extreme cold, floods and wildfires, carbon monoxide exposure, and home renovations involving gas and electrical work. These campaigns encouraged safe behaviour, emphasized the importance of recognizing common hazards, provided preventative safety tips, and reinforced the need to work with licensed contractors or certified individuals.
Our incident investigation findings and safety recommendations were shared through videos, visual guides, blog posts, digital ads, and newsletters. Our goal was to equip British Columbians with the knowledge they need to prevent common incidents, change unsafe behaviour, and mitigate emerging risks.
Gas leak from furnace hospitalizes two people
Incident Investigation
Extreme Weather Preparedness (Flood and Wildfire Safety)
As climate change continues to drive more frequent and severe weather events, including wildfires, floods, and heavy storms, our extreme weather preparedness campaigns provide crucial safety guidance to those who are affected. We shared information on home preparation, evacuation protocols, and returning safely to fire or flood-damaged properties.
In 2024, our wildfire campaign ran from July through September, delivering timely safety messages to residents in high-risk areas.
Our safety tips advised those in evacuation zones on how to secure gas and electrical systems before leaving their homes to help minimize damage.
We also provided guidance on avoiding hazards associated with both fires and fire mitigation efforts.
Leveraging geo-targeting, our digital ads were updated daily to ensure communities facing active wildfire warnings and evacuations received relevant safety information. We collaborated with government partners to amplify our messaging on both provincial and municipal websites, while printed handouts were made available in evacuation centers.
Technical safety insights were also shared with contractors through our industry-specific newsletters, providing our clients with guidelines to better support communities impacted by wildfires.
Carbon Monoxide Safety
With carbon monoxide (CO) being one of our Top 5 Safety Risks for 2024, and following two CO incidents involving animals, we refined our fall CO awareness campaign to emphasize protecting the entire household, including pets.
To reach animal lovers, we partnered with the BC SPCA to share pet-focused CO safety messaging through their newsletter, which reached 280,000 British Columbians. Our digital ads reinforced key safety messages, educating the public on CO symptoms, prevention strategies, and what to do if they suspect there is CO in their home.
Through strategic partnerships and media channels — including radio spots and transit ads — we broadened our campaign’s reach, engaging communities across the province. Our campaign generated significant media coverage, with our press release and targeted outreach resulting in multiple television and radio interviews.
Our campaign also included multi language assets shared in Mandarin and Cantonese and ran as radio ads and digital display ads on Fairchild Media channels.
As part of our annual CO alarm giveaway contest on Facebook, we expanded our offerings to include accessible alarms for individuals with disabilities, ensuring greater inclusivity.
Unqualified work causes house explosion
Incident Investigation
Home Renovation Safety – The Importance of Hiring a Licensed Contractor
In 2024, our annual “Hire a Licensed Contractor” campaign continued to remind homeowners of the importance of working with certified individuals for gas and electrical renovations or repairs. This year, our messaging placed a greater emphasis on verifying a contractor’s licence before beginning regulated work.
Our campaign relied heavily on digital ads featuring engaging video content, including a cameo from Mike Holmes, as well as learnings from incident investigations involving unlicensed or unpermitted work.
As part of our commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, we shared our campaign messaging in both Mandarin and Cantonese through dedicated language channels. To reach audiences beyond digital platforms, we also placed ads on buses and the SkyTrain, ensuring broader visibility across the province.