Members Take Part in Biggest Ever BC Hydro Safety Rodeo

June 10, 2014

Over 4,000 people came out on Saturday, June 7 to the annual BC Hydro Safety Rodeo. The rodeo, held on BC Hydro property in Surrey, is a chance for BC Hydro employees, their families, and interested members of the public a chance to learn about workplace health and safety and celebrate the exceptional safety training of Hydro employees.

“This event gets bigger every year so this year there will be over 4,000 people. This is much more than a safety rodeo,” said MoveUP Occupational Health and Safety Director Steve Milne, “It’s an opportunity for Hydro to come together. And it lets people’s families see what they do at work.”

During the day trained Hydro employees from forklift operators to power line technicians partiicpated in competitions, along with electrical apprentices and competitors from other utilities, to showcase their skills at doing their job safely. 

MoveUP had a booth at the event and some BC Hydro members also competed in First Aid competitions.

“I saw a lot of our members, from Accenture as well as BC Hydro, out at tables and displays promoting and educating on important safety issues, as well as Hydro programs generally,” said MoveUP Vice-President Gwenne Farrell. For example, members were available to show attendees the new Hydro Mobile Response Centre, a vehicle equipped with computers and wireless communications that can respond to emergency situations to coordinate power restoration quickly and safely. 

The event also raised money for United Way through a dunk tank. MoveUP President David Black took a turn in the tank and so did the President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and several senior managers from BC Hydro. For every successful dunk, MoveUP, IBEW and BC Hydro pledged $20 to the United Way.

“This is important for COPE to be at because it gives us an opportunity to talk to our members, and at the same time demonstrates that we strongly support keeping members at all our workplaces safe,” Farrell added.

Milne agreed: “We support BC Hydro’s Life-Saving Rules and better safety overall at BC Hydro and all our workplaces.”