Catherine Roome is the new president and CEO of the B.C. Safety Authority.
The organization employs 300 workers province-wide and is committed to the oversight of public safety in the technical and trades industry throughout B.C.
The non-profit, independent Safety Authority has offices in 26 communities and has been named a 2011 Top 100 Employer in Canada.
The Safety Authority promotes public safety by mandating the safe installation and use of technical equipment by business, industry and home owners.
“As the province’s delegated authority, we administer safety standards and enforce compliance. We also issue permits and licences, educate, and conduct on-site inspections, giving priority to higher-risk situations. We continuously advance the standards of safe practices in B.C.,” said Roome, a professional engineer and graduate of the University of Victoria.
Trades and industry regulated by the Safety Authority include: Amusement rides and devices; boilers, pressure vessels and refrigeration systems; electrical equipment and systems; elevating devices such as elevators and escalators; gas appliances and systems, including hydrogen; passenger ropeways such as aerial trams and ski lifts; and railways, including rapid transit.
As the new CEO, Roome says she will be pushing forward a business philosophy built around risk management, where reducing or eliminating risk becomes the responsibility of home owners, business owners and operators.
Roome, a native of Maple Bay on Vancouver Island, joined the safety authority as vice-president of engineering in 2005, coming from BC Hydro where she had been general manager of its thermal operations. She became the organization’s chief operating officer in 2007.
More information about the safety authority can be found at www.safetyauthority.ca.
