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Putting safety and well-being above all
Health, safety, and well-being is both a strategic priority for Enova and one of our core values. The health, safety and wellness of our people and communities will always come first. From equipment and tools to education and outreach, safety is one of our top priorities.
Our School Safety Program continued to educate, inspire, and entertain in 2024. Enova retirees and volunteers completed 80 interactive and engaging presentations at schools across our service territory, reaching more than 3,800 students. The presentations, geared towards grade 5 students, cover topics including home electrical safety, outdoor electrical safety, and case studies to help educate our youth about the dangers of electrical hazards.
Education efforts don’t stop with primary school. We offered safety awareness training to first responders, Kitchener Fire Services, the City of Kitchener’s operations staff, and Waterloo Rural Women’s Farm Safety Day. We’re committed to protecting everyone in our region from electrical hazards through training, education, and awareness. We’re an industry leader in safety education and training, sponsoring Workplace Safety & Prevention Services’ Southwestern Regional Partners in Prevention Conference.
Educating the population we serve is only one part of our safety program. All employees receive comprehensive safety training as part of their orientation. Employees also receive First Aid training and Mental Health First Aid training on a recurring basis. Outside staff are kept up-to-date on safety standards, incidents, and hazards through monthly trades safety meetings.
Employee well-being is just as important to us as physical safety. When our employees are struggling mentally or emotionally, the potential for accidents increases. Our Wellness Committee offers an industry-leading wellness program that in 2024 included morning yoga, massages in partnership with Conestoga College’s Massage Therapy program, a push-up challenge, and lunch time karate classes. The committee also ran two themed weeks. The first, Mental Health and Wellness Week, included animal therapy, and session on how make your dinner at work using a slow cooker. The second, a Fall Wellness Reset, featured an interactive team wellness challenge and a blood pressure clinic. We encourage physical activity away from the office through our Health and Fitness Grant, and our employee-led Ergonomic Committee conducts assessments at employee work stations to ensure employees have the equipment they need to complete their work safely and help prevent injuries and chronic ailments.
Enova also supports the Movember movement, and Bell Let’s Talk Day.
3,828
More than 3,800 students took part in School Safety Presentations. A rotating group of Enova employees and retirees completed presentations at more than 50 schools across the Waterloo region.
students
52
More than 50 employees took charge of their health and wellness through 1-1 sessions with a wellness consultant. The participants included a combination of inside and outside staff across all departments.
wellness program participants
26,410
More than 26,000 locates were completed across Enova’s service territory. Educating customers on the importance of arranging for underground cable locates has been a long-standing focus of our safety education efforts.
locates
65
For the past seven years, the Elementary School Safety Poster Contest encouraged students in grades 1-6 to share their knowledge of electrical safety by drawing a poster depicting safety messaging. An impressive 480 students participated over the Contest’s seven years in operation.
In 2024, Enova revamped the annual campaign to encourage more participants and skill sets. The freshly rebranded School Safety Art Contest challenged students to create a safety-related message using the medium of their choice.
The students did not disappoint. We received a variety of creative masterpieces, including original rap songs, poems, short stories, short videos, posters, and animations. Winners were selected by online vote based on age group and medium. The winning entries were shared on social media, Enova’s website, ad campaigns, and in Enova’s safety presentations.
Winning students received gift cards, an Enova prize pack, and recognition from their classmates during in-school award ceremonies.
entries in the Elementary School Electrical Safety Art Contest.
Artwork by Elementary School Electrical Safety Art Contest winners: (from left) Carson, Eliza, Kiara, Aaron, and Kaliya, Natalie, and Yeshayah.