The Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) is taking action to reduce injuries, fatalities and illnesses in the construction industry with a new Construction Health and Safety Action Plan.
Labour Minister Kevin Flynn announced the initiative at the construction site for Toronto’s new courthouse on the morning of May 11, according to a government news release. Based on input from employers, workers and other stakeholders, the plan consists of implementing 16 recommendations to improve safety in the sector. Some of the implementations are already underway or complete, the MOL claimed.
“Construction deaths continue to be unacceptably high,” said Flynn. “We are committed to preventing tragedy, so construction workers can go home safe and sound at the end of each work day. To do this, we must all work together.
“We all have a role and responsibility to make our workplaces healthy and safe.”
Ontario Chief Prevention Officer George Gritziotis said in a media statement that the Action Plan would use “targeted enforcement, exploring opportunities to expand the application of tickets, enhanced worker awareness and training by building partnerships and ensuring effective outreach strategies” to ensure the safety of all construction workers in the province.
“We are working towards full implementation,” added Gritziotis.
An MOL backgrounder stated that the plan aims to achieve the following goals:
- provide easy access to oh&s information via Internet tools, applications and portals;
- raise awareness of construction hazards through multimedia campaigns and enforcement blitzes;
- consider possibilities of raising fines for oh&s offences in the industry;
- examine solutions for fall prevention, such as roof anchors;
- instill construction safety in school curricula and training programs;
- develop an accreditation program for safety-conscious employers, with the assistance of stakeholders; and
- fill in information gaps in health and safety resources for both employers and workers.
In addition, the Ministry has already accomplished several of the recommended goals, such as radio, Internet and transit-ad awareness campaigns about working at heights, training and inspection blitzes aimed at roofing projects and an advanced training program for construction supervisors in communicating safety information.
The Action Plan is a response to Premier Kathleen Wynne’s 2014-2015 mandate letter to Flynn, urging injury and illness prevention in the construction sector, the Ministry stated.
Around 30 per cent of Ontario’s traumatic and disease fatalities related to work occur in the construction industry, according to information from the Ministry. In addition, 36 per cent of traumatic fatalities in the province’s construction sector are due to falls from heights, according to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.