Ontario: Making Construction Sites Safe For Workers

Ontario is working to improve safety in high-risk construction trades with a targeted, month-long blitz to protect workers from preventable workplace injuries.

Beginning March 1, inspectors from the Ministry of Labour will visit construction projects employing workers in high-rise formwork, low-rise formwork and masonry, siding and built-up roofing work. The inspections will help ensure that:

• work areas are safe from hazards that cause dangerous slips, trips or falls
• workers are using fall protection systems properly and equipment such as ladders, platforms and scaffolds.

This blitz will be in addition to regular inspections already undertaken by the Ministry of Labour.

Protecting construction workers is part of the McGuinty government’s continued commitment to preventing workplace injuries through its Safe at Work Ontario strategy, while creating jobs.

QUICK FACTS

• In 2010, six workers died and 159 workers were seriously injured in the five targeted trades as a result of falls. Of those injured, nearly half were young workers.
• Since 2008, ministry inspectors have conducted more than 266,000 field visits, 36 inspection blitzes and issued more than 426,000 compliance orders.
• The blitz is part of the province’s Safe at Work Ontario strategy to increase compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations.

LEARN MORE