The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) has launched the 2023-24 Construction Safety Campaigns which will focus on falls from heights in single family residential and struck-by vehicles, equipment and material incidents.
“Falls are the top cause of critical injuries and deaths of workers at construction projects in Ontario,” a spokesperson from the MLITSD said in an email to the Daily Commercial News. “Being struck by equipment and material is the second highest cause of fatalities in construction.”
The campaigns kicked off April 1 and will conclude in March 2024. Over 100 inspectors will visit hundreds of jobsites across the province each week. The ministry conducts safety and enforcement campaigns every year to raise awareness in workplaces, help prevent injuries and deaths, protect workers’ rights and enhance employers’ awareness of their responsibilities.
In terms of what inspectors are looking for, the MLITSD spokesperson said, “Our preventative, proactive approach emphasizes safety first, preventing or correcting workplace hazards to protect workers. This includes identification of workplace hazards, compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and review of workplace safety policies.”
The campaigns and initiatives have two phases: education, outreach and awareness, and enforcement. Campaigns are determined using a risk-based process that considers: injury, illness and fatality data; health and safety research; and feedback from system partners and inspectors.
When asked if there are enough inspectors to conduct visits, the ministry responded in 2021, the number of inspectors across the province increased to over 500, the highest number in the province’s history. Last year, ministry inspectors conducted 67,887 field visits and more than 23,000 inspector visits were at construction projects throughout Ontario.
“Our advice to employers is simple: Know your responsibilities and communicate clearly with your workers and supervisors,” stated the ministry. “Make sure you offer an occupational health and safety awareness training program which explores common workplace hazards, as required by law; ensure your workers are qualified for the tasks they are performing and have completed mandatory training where necessary; provide information, instruction and supervision to workers; advise workers and supervisors about hazards in the workplace; and take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect workers.”
The ministry also recently appointed a new prevention chair. Steve Chaplin, vice-president of health, safety and environment at EllisDon has been named chair of the Prevention Council of Ontario.
The council, which includes representatives from employers, trade unions and labour organizations, non-unionized workers, health and safety experts and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, advises the minister and Chief Prevention Officer on a wide range of health and safety issues.
Follow the author on Twitter @DCN_Angela
Recent Comments
comments for this post are closed