Technical Assistance for Capacity Building in Electrical Safety

MHI was awarded a contract to assist the government of Moldova in its’ efforts to reduce the number and severity of electrical accidents amongst the utility employees and the public at large. MHI developed an electrical safety program with four distinct components. These were:

• Training of electrical distribution company staff in the ways and means of raising electrical safety awareness amongst its consumers and customers
• Training of safety inspectors and safety capacity building in the National Electrical Authority, Ministry of Energy, and the Ministry of Labour and Social Safety.
• Education for school children, and training for teachers to enable them to implement this “safety program” into the school curriculum
• Government proclamation of Electrical Safety Week, complete with mass media coverage of the various related functions held throughout the week Moldova

The Manitoba Hydro International team has developed a programme to help Moldova improve its record of electrical accident statistics by:

• Training 40-50 teachers and local utility representatives in presenting an Electrical Safety program in the schools, as a pilot program
• Working with the office of the Prime Minister to establish a National Electrical Safety Week each May, beginning in 2005 and have the Electrical Utilities participate through various forms of advertising, and other initiatives, (for example: school safety contests)
• Provide training to the State Labour and Energy Inspectors on Safety Awareness and accident investigation analysis and record keeping