Dave Little and Rick Hicks recognized for their safety leadership
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) presented the Legacy Safety Awards to Dave Little of Atura Power — Brighton Beach Generating Station and Rick Hicks of Delta Elevator in recognition of their safety leadership.
The annual TSSA Safety Awards is a nomination-based program that recognizes individuals and organizations working in sectors overseen by TSSA and have made significant contributions to public safety in Ontario.
“I am pleased to honour 2022’s Legacy Safety Award recipients, Dave Little and Rick Hicks, for their leadership and dedication to making safety a priority in the workplace,” says Bonnie Rose, President and CEO of TSSA. “TSSA recognizes the positive impact an individual can have on an organization, industry and community. The efforts of these two individuals to continuously go above and beyond to improve workplace practices are making a difference for a safer Ontario.”
TSSA Individual Legacy Safety Award Recipient – Dave Little
As Chief Operating Engineer at Atura Power’s Brighton Beach Generating Station, Dave Little ensures the safe and reliable operation of a power plant, working with the operators, maintenance team, contractors and TSSA to make sure all the plant’s regulatory obligations are met.
Dave, who joined the organization in 2003 and progressed steadily to his current role in 2014, has been credited with tireless efforts to ensure proper work practices are in place at Brighton Beach Generating Station. This includes having a formal process for ‘Lockout Tagout’ — a critical safety procedure in a power plant — and volunteering to lead an effort to consolidate the various safety processes between all the stations within his organization.
He has also made an indelible impact on the organization’s safety culture as management co-chair on the Brighton Beach Generating Station Joint Health and Safety Committee and is a member of the Joint Health and Safety Committee of Atura Power, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation that owns Brighton Beach Generating Station.
“Dave Little has made significant contributions to safety in the Operating Engineer profession, his plant and Ontario,” says Ajay Raval, Director of Boilers, Pressure Vessels and Operating Engineers with TSSA. “This award honours his dedication and tireless efforts to influencing safe work behaviours in this generation and the next.”
Watch a video of Dave Little or read his story here.
TSSA Individual Legacy Safety Award Recipient – Rick Hicks
Rick began his career at Delta Elevator 30 years ago as an apprentice. He rose through the ranks, assuming such roles as Crew Leader and Field Operations Supervisor of the GTA branch, before becoming the organization’s Training and Development Supervisor in 2013.
Now a mentor to young workers whose shoes he was in three decades ago, Rick assesses more than 50 apprentices and oversees their tracking of hours, schooling, and education units, as well as the individual training for all Elevating Devices Mechanic Trainee (EDM-T, a TSSA certification) required safety education.
Establishing safety protocols above and beyond industry standards, Rick has created hundreds of hours of curriculum and procedures to ensure up-to-date and effective training for both apprentices and mechanics at Delta Elevator. He works one-on-one in the field with mechanics to improve their operational aptitude and provides skills- and safety-focused training that gets webcast to more than 170 workers across Delta Elevator’s five branches.
“Whether imparting his knowledge to prepare future elevator mechanics to be safety proponents in the field or lending his expertise to developing training standards and certification policies, Rick Hicks has demonstrated a strong passion and longstanding commitment to furthering safety standards in the elevating industry and TSSA is pleased to recognize him with this award,” says Roger Neate, Director of Elevating and Amusement Devices.
Watch a video of Rick Hicks or read his story here.
About TSSA
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is one of Ontario’s public safety regulators mandated by the Government of Ontario to enforce provincial safety regulations and enhance public safety. Throughout Ontario, TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, and ski lifts. Its range of safety services includes public education and consumer information, certification, licensing and registration, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, safety management consultation, compliance support and enforcement and prosecution activities. The organization’s vision is to be a valued advocate and recognized authority in public safety.
For more information, please contact:
Alexandra Campbell
Vice President, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Telephone: 416-734-6227
email:media@tssa.org
For more information on the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, please visit www.tssa.org.