âVERY BIG OUTAGEâAN OPG-WIDE - Ontario Power Generation

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page 2 I T ’ S A L L A B O U T P E O P L E v o l u m e e l e v e n • i s s u e n i n e ZERO INJURIES Believe it.Achieve it. Electrical Safety – Be Aware Electrical safety should be a priority at work and at home. No matter where you are, take the time to identify and control hazards. Once you are aware of the risks, you and your family can more effectively prevent fires and electrical contacts at home. Statistics show there is good reason to pay attention. In Ontario, between 1998 and 2007, an average of three to four people per year were fatally electrocuted at home, and between 2,000 and 3,000 residential electrical fires occurred each year, the majority resulting in property loss. Safety Tips During Home Repairs n Label your breakers and fuses. n Before working on electrical circuits, open breakers or remove fuses and test the circuits to ensure they are not live. n Avoid overhead lines when working outdoors. Make Your Home Electrically Safe n Ensure ground fault circuit interrupters are installed near sinks in bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms, and in exterior outlets. n Avoid overloading circuits, creating an electrical “octopus,” and resting furniture on electrical cords. n Prevent overheating and breakage by not wrapping electrical cords too tightly. n Replace cracked or frayed electrical cords. n Have your home’s electrical system checked by a licensed electrician. Flickering lights, tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses may indicate possible electrical problems. n Don’t use extension cords as a permanent solution to a lack of outlets. n Make sure your electrical equipment has a CSA, ULC or other recognized certification mark. Beware of counterfeit marks: Grammatical errors and conflicting information may indicate that it is a fake. If the price looks too good to be true, it may not be certified. Standing left to right are Dave Evans, Fred Dermarkar, Otto Yong, Jimmy Xie, Dave Beards, Frank Puzzuoli, Luella Lobo, Sharon Bisnauth, Riad Al-Samadi, Tania Szewczuk, Tony Cardillo, Shiva Habibi, Michael Brett, Diane Lawrence, Sudduf Wyne, Lisa McIsaac, Pam McDermid, Mary Chi, York Chan, Charles Fong, Sandy McKay and Brian Kent. 10th Anniversary Contest Winners On May 11, members of OPG’s Chemistry, Metallurgy and Welding department enjoyed a special catered lunch for their efforts in preparing the winning entry to OPG’s 10th Anniversary Employee Contest. Their winning multi-media presentation, “Show Us Your OPG,” demonstrated a sense of creativity, quality and effort that set them apart. “Thanks again to everyone who participated in the contest,” says Mary Lou Sawyer, Director Employee Communications. “All of the entries were spectacular and it was difficult to narrow it down to just one winner. Your efforts helped to make OPG’s 10th anniversary that much more special.” TALENT MANAGEMENT 2009 EFC and OEL Scholarship Program The Electro-Federation Canada Foundation and the Ontario Electrical League are launching their 2009 scholarship program. Now in its 14th year, the 2009 program will feature 44 scholarships totalling more than $50,000. The scholarships will be awarded to students in disciplines such as engineering, computer science, business administration and apprenticeship programs. These scholarships are open to OPG employee dependants. Students currently employed at OPG (summer, co-op or intern) are also invited to apply. Detailed information and an online application form are available at www.electrofed.com. Online applications must be received before midnight on July 1, 2009. Inquiries should be directed to scholarship@electrofed.com or to Rose-Mary Matusiak of OPG at (416) 592-6654. EMPLOYEE INITIATIVES Home Energy Audit As announced on Earth Day, OPG’s Sustainable Development group has arranged for OPG employees and pensioners to receive a discount on home energy evaluations through a new joint initiative with Nationwide Energy Advisors (NEA). NEA is licensed through Natural Resources Canada to conduct thorough, basement-to-attic, home energy efficiency evaluations. The evaluation will provide a list of recommendations to help you maximize your home’s energy efficiency and help you qualify for government rebates of up to $10,000. OPG employees and pensioners are eligible for a 10 per cent discount off the price of the first evaluation, and the Ontario Ministry of Energy will rebate up to 50 per cent more. For more on this initiative or any of the many other employee/pensioner discounts, visit: Employees: OPG Today > Human Resources > Employee Discounts Pensioners: https://pensioners.opg.com/ > Employee Discounts To obtain a username and password, please call (416) 592-8888 (toll-free 1-888-314-4421) or e-mail pensionerservices@opg.com Norwood District High School drama student winners performing at the 2009 IAPA LINK Youth Health and Safety Forum. Youth Health and Safety Forum and IAPA Conference OPG recently participated in the 2009 Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA) Conference and Trade Show. Our visible leadership in health and safety was evident through involvement in Young Worker Safety forums and the delivery of various safety presentations. OPG and the Society of Energy Professionals were proud to be exclusive sponsors of the Youth Health and Safety Forum called LINK- Learning through Innovative New Knowledge. At the LINK Forum, high school drama competition finalists from across Ontario delivered performances incorporating key safety messages to 2,000 young attendees. Lindsay Greenland, an Assistant Technical Engineer/Officer from Pickering Nuclear, delivered remarks on behalf of OPG and the Society, and introduced the new young worker safety DVD “The First Step.” In addition, OPG shared best practices in health and safety through the delivery of a number of presentations by OPG employees, including Susanne Persaud of Pickering Conventional Safety, and Corporate Safety’s Jim Martin and Tami Bolton. Dr. Norman Giesbrecht from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health was on hand to present his groundbreaking research on risktaking near public waterways. This research was sponsored by OPG.
WAYNE ROBBINS A R O U N D O P G STU SEEDHOUSE Wayne Robbins, Senior Vice President Darlington Nuclear, has been appointed OPG’s new Chief Nuclear Officer. Effective June 1, 2009, Robbins replaces Tom Mitchell, who will become OPG’s new President on July 1. As Darlington Nuclear’s leader, Robbins directed the station in 2008 to its highest level of overall station performance in OPG’s history. During his tenure, Darlington received its highest industry rating from the World Association of Nuclear Operators – also a CANDU first. Robbins joined OPG (then Ontario Hydro) in 1980 as a commissioning engineer at Pickering B and has held a variety of increasingly responsible positions at Pickering B, Pickering A and Darlington, including shift manager, outage and authorized duty manager, director of maintenance and operations for both Pickering A and Pickering B. Robbins joined the Darlington v o l u m e e l e v e n • i s s u e n i n e OPG VETERANS APPOINTED TO TOP NUCLEAR POSITIONS Two nuclear veterans with a combined total of 67 years at Ontario Hydro and OPG have been appointed to executive positions in OPG Nuclear. page 3 Nuclear team in 2005 and was appointed SVP in 2006. He is the recipient of the Power Within 2008 President’s Leadership Award. Stu Seedhouse, Darlington’s Director, Operations and Maintenance succeeds Robbins as Senior Vice President Darlington Nuclear, effective June 1, 2009. A graduate of Queen’s University, Seedhouse joined Ontario Hydro/OPG in 1981 as a junior engineer and has held progressively responsible roles at all three nuclear stations, including shift supervisor, maintenance and operations manager at Pickering B, director of operations and maintenance (DOM) and director of engineering at Darlington. In 2007, Seedhouse led a review of OPG’s support function costs on behalf of the CEO. As the DOM his weekly updates to staff established a professional, sometimes challenging, but always supportive camaraderie with the employees at Darlington. NIAGARA TUNNEL UPDATE While delayed, the Niagara Tunnel project continues to be an important infrastructure project in Ontario, with respect to its long-term value as an added source of clean, renewable hydroelectric power. At the end of March, the tunnel boring machine had advanced to 3,794 metres, representing 37 per cent of the tunnel project. Now operating on a revised alignment to minimize the remainder of excavation in the Queenston shale formation, OPG and the contractor – Strabag – have negotiated the contract with a revised target cost and schedule. This contract includes incentives related to achieving the target cost and schedule. The original total budget for the Niagara Tunnel project was set at $985 million, with a completion date for June 2010. The revised contract – approved by the OPG Board – is estimated at $1.6 billion, with a scheduled completion date now set at December 2013. “Looking to the future, we are continuing to work on the Niagara Tunnel while discussing with Strabag the best way to route the remaining two-thirds of the project,” said OPG President and CEO Jim Hankinson. “I can assure you that, when completed, the tunnel will provide a clean and economical source of energy.” Pickering Nuclear is looking for veterans of the 2000 VBO Pickering Nuclear has been working for more than a year on preparations for the 2010 Pickering VBO. With just 10 months to go the VBO team wants to hear from employees and pensioners who were involved in the 2000 Pickering VBO. The team welcomes photos, stories, lessons learned. Send your submission to kelly.hunt@opg Is it the end of 25 Hz? In April, Sir Adam Beck 1 was the last 25 Hz generator to be decommissioned. The 25 Hz generators existed at Beck 1 and Rankine generating stations to provide power for large industrial customers who did not want to replace existing equipment and motors. G7 turbine rotor replacement at Beck Michael Mirsky from Energy Markets recalls, “Most people are too young to remember, but until the 1950s, all power was 25 cycle and my parents told me how lights used to flicker. When the conversion happened, Ontario Hydro trucks went through residential areas offering a free swap of electric clocks (the old clock motors wouldn’t work right on 60 Hz). People would bring old clocks that hadn’t worked in years for a free exchange!” Mirsky continues, “Since then, 25 Hz supply was limited to industrial users with huge motors that ran on 25 Hz in northern Ontario and Niagara. Those motors are now gone, NANTICOKE GS Makes Right Connection At a recent gala in Toronto, representatives from Nanticoke GS received the provincial “Passport to Prosperity Merit Award.” The award, which recognizes employers who have consistently provided secondary-school students with outstanding learning opportunities, is a testament to Nanticoke’s cooperative education program and speaks to the willingness and dedication of staff to train the next generation of young workers. Nanticoke GS offers a secondary school co-op program with classes held right on site. “The program offers a great deal of value for both students and staff at Nanticoke,” said Kevin Borges, Mechanical Technician at Nanticoke, who has been a part of the program for the last two years. “The students get real work experience with one of the top employers in Canada. In exchange, we get high-quality work and valuable input from students who are hungry for knowledge.” “Nanticoke Generating Station is an outstanding example of an employer champion,” said nominator Susan McFarlane, Guidance Counselor at Hagersville Secondary School. CORRECTION: and the remaining generators producing 25 Hz have had their output converted to 60 Hz.” Major players in the power industry favoured different cycles depending on use, but 25 Hz was chosen as a compromise and stayed the industry choice for decades. Around the late 1940s, the early 25 Hz Ontario Hydro generators were standardized at 60 Hz – a huge project, launched under the leadership of Chairman Robert Saunders. It was a shock to some, who never thought 25 Hz would become obsolete. Although Northeast Plant Group also produced 25 Hz at Lower Sturgeon, Wawaitin, and Sandy Falls on the Upper Mattagami River, they were taken off line for redevelopment and are currently under construction. So, while it isn’t shocking, it’s still the end of 25 Hz as we know it. Chantelle Stefan (left), HR Advisor, at Nanticoke GS, proudly displays the Passport to Prosperity award, along with Grant Clarke, (A) Assistant Deputy Minister, Education, and Ian Cunningham, Chair, Strategy and Partnerships Task Force, Provincial Partnership Council. The April 17 issue of POWERNews incorrectly mentioned the date of the Seymour Centennial Celebration. The correct date is Sept. 12, 2009.
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âVERY BIG OUTAGEâAN OPG-WIDE - Ontario Power Generation

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