ECAOAND Ibewprovide essential servicesduring pandemic
‘Outside-the-box thinking’ was needed to protect valued workers
When a Burlington hospital was the first in the province to set up a temporary overflow ward during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario (ECAO) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Construction Council of Ontario ( IBEW CCO) were on the frontlines.
Despite challenging circumstances, they worked tirelessly to provide power, generator backup power, nurse call station, lighting and data communications cabling for the 93- bed structure being erected on the Joseph Brant
Hospital site.
“The work had to be done quickly and properly,” says Kevin Martineau, vice president of electrical at Plan Group, an Ecaomember that delivers electrical, mechanical and technology construction and facilities management. “We had 25 employees on site working staggered shifts. Everyone knew it could be one of their loved ones in the facility, so it had to be resilient and substantial.”
Plan Group shared lessons learned with fellow contractors working on other essential projects. ECAO members hire only IBEW electricians and that collaboration helped ensure another job well done. “A core group of IBEW
Local 105 members are considered part of our team, with many starting and finishing their careers with Plan Group. We also count on Local 105 to augment our crews to help us cross the finish line on projects,” Martineau says.
“IBEW electricians continue to proudly work with our ECAO partner contractors to ensure electrical services are built and maintained safely and correctly for key infrastructure projects and essential services, including hospitals,” says James Barry, executive secretary treasurer of IBEWCCO.
The IBEW CCO represents 11 locals across Ontario serving over 18,000 men and women working in the electrical sector. “During the pandemic, our IBEW locals have supported food and mask donations to hospital workers to help out in these challenging times.” Barry says.
The pandemic has reinforced the role of safety professionals like Erin Oliver, vice president of health, safety and sustainability at Modern Niagara Group, a nation
al mechanical, electrical, building controls and services company that also worked on the temporary hospital in Burlington.
Within a week of COVID-19 being declared a global pandemic, Modern Niagara launched an employee training program and even shared it with the Ontario General Contractors Association and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. Upon successful completion of an online awareness tutorial and questionnaire, its employees received a ‘ COVID Aware’ sticker for their hardhats.
“Early outside- the- box thinking
was needed. There was no playbook for this. We had to take the steps necessary to protect our human capital,” says Oliver, recipient of the Canadian Occupational Safety magazine’s 2020 Safety Leader of the Year Gold Award.
The workers at the temporary hospital in Burlington were touched by members of the community who dropped off rocks with inspirational messages. “That outpouring of appreciation meant the world to those folks, many of whom were working extraordinary hours under extraordinary stress,” Oliver says.