Vector, New Zealand’s largest infrastructure provider, scooped the Electricity Engineers’ Association Public Safety Award earlier today for their Safety in Schools Programme.

The company has been running a “Stay Safe Around Electricity” schools programme since 2005 and has recently begun a gas safety programme in the Taranaki Region.

Vector’s CEO Simon Mackenzie says their decision to teach electricity safety at primary and intermediate schools was taken because the statistics show that children and youth are overly represented in electrical accident figures.

“When we saw that 39% of accidents happened to children, and a further 15% happened to young people, we realised there was a real lack of understanding of how electricity works and how to be safe around it. It was at this point we decided a schools programme was imperative.

“Communicating safety messages through schools allows Vector to engage with children in a way that leaves a lasting impression and imparts knowledge that is likely to be taken into adulthood. The initiative also helps to communicate safety messages to adults as children are active persuaders in the home.”

Mr Mackenzie says that Vector’s schools programme educator visited 423 schools in Auckland, delivering the safety message to more than 87,000 students since 2005.

“We’ve also begun a gas safety programme in Taranaki as we believe there is a need for strong safety messages with gas as well”.

“I’d like to give a special mention to the team at Vector who developed the programmes and do such a great job in the schools”.

Vector is pleased to have been awarded the EEA Public Safety Award as recognition for their continued safety work.