Data by technology: Electrical

Electrical

Technical Safety BC oversees electrical equipment and systems across British Columbia in accordance with the Safety Standards Act and the Electrical Safety Regulation. The exception are those municipalities that have separate administrative agreements with the provincial government.

Key Statistics

Incidents reported to us in 2021

Injuries reported to us in 2021

Assessments completed in 2021

Incidents

In 2021 the number of electrical incidents reported to us increased by 11 (17%) compared to 2020.

The majority of the incidents were rated insignificant to moderate, ranging from arc flash burns to the hand, to injuries sustained when working energized. There were two severe incidents reported to us.

Note: The category under assessment refers to incidents reported to Technical Safety BC that were still under investigation at year end.

Electrical Incidents by Year (2017-2021)

Injuries

Seven injuries related to the electrical technology were reported in 2021, which represents a decrease of one compared to 2020.

Please note that we receive injury reports and descriptions from operators or first responders at the time of, or immediately following, the incident. Injuries may develop after the initial reports were made to us and the long-term effects of a resultant injury may not be recorded as part of our investigation.

Electrical Injuries by Year (2017-2021)

Permits

In 2021, a total of 98,888 electrical permits were issued, which included 87,042 installation permits and 11,846 operating permits.

Electrical Permits by Year (2017-2021)

Assessments

Technical Safety BC safety officers completed 29,267 assessments of electrical equipment and systems in 2021. This included 11,828 in-person inspections and 17,439 remote inspections.

Assessments are rated as follows:

Pass	The safety officer has assessed that the regulated work and/or regulated product was found to comply with the Safety Standards Act, regulations, and/or applicable technical code(s).
Fail	The safety officer has assessed that the regulated work and/or regulated product was found to NOT comply with the Safety Standards Act, regulations, and/or applicable technical code(s). Further regulated work on the affected system or phase of work, and/or operation of the regulated equipment must not be undertaken until the identified non-compliances have been corrected.