Construction Health and Safety Program Report

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) puts together a report for the Provincial Labor Management Health and Safety Committee each month with an overview of events, court bulletins, and statistics. This report is generally available the first week of the month and when it is available it will posted on the IHSA website.

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2023-2024 Industry compliance campaigns

Construction inspectors will be focusing on struck-by equipment hazards in specific settings and falls from heights in the single-family residential sector. Learn more

To assist stakeholders with achieving compliance during the year-long MLITSD campaigns, IHSA is highlighting the following resources this month:

• Ropes, Rigging and Slinging Safe Practice Guide
• Hoisting and Rigging Training Program
• Prevent Falls from Ladders Poster
• Ladder Handling Training
• IHSA Safety Podcast Episode 23 - Supervisors: Identifying & Addressing Hazards
• IHSA Safety Podcast Episode 24 - Supervisor Duties

The MLITSD also has a specialized Professional Services Compliance Plan which will be focusing on ergonomics, respiratory protection, and asbestos in building structures.

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Input sought on changes to Coroners Act

On November 30, 2023, the government introduced the Enhancing Access to Justice Act, 2023, which includes proposed amendments to the Coroners Act.

If passed, the amendments to the Coroners Act would require a coroner-led review and public report of multiple accidental construction-related deaths in the previous year at least annually, rather than the current approach of holding an inquest for each death.

The Standing Committee on Justice Policy will meet to consider Bill 157, An Act to amend various Acts in relation to the courts and other justice matters. The Committee intends to hold public hearings in Toronto on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 and Thursday, February 22, 2024.

Interested people who wish to be considered to make an oral presentation on Bill 157 are required to register by 12:00 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.

Those who do not wish to make an oral presentation but wish to comment on the bill may send a written submission by 6:00 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, February 22, 2024.

Consultation on proposed Building Code amendments to expand provisions of encapsulated mass timber construction

Ontario's Building Code is a regulation under the Building Code Act, 1992 which sets out minimum administrative and technical requirements for new construction, renovation, and change of use of buildings.

Responding to the need for more housing and calls for more flexibility around Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction (EMTC), Ontario participated with other provinces, Codes Canada and the National Research Council in a joint task group that has been investigating the expanded use of EMTC to develop these proposals. Now, MMAH is encouraging industry partners and stakeholders to participate in this consultation to help shape the content of what could be the next steps for tall mass timber buildings.

CSA propane storage and handling code under review

The CSA Group has released a new version of the code dealing with propane storage and handling. This Code applies to

• the storage, handling, and transfer of propane;
• propane used as an engine fuel in other than motor vehicles; and
• the installation, operation, and maintenance of containers and equipment to be used for propane at customer locations, in distribution locations and filling plants.

The B149.2:25 draft has been posted for a 60-day Public Review until March 25, 2024

A Call to Action: Opioid Harm Prevention

Join IHSA as we discuss the unique challenges when it comes to taking a proactive approach to reducing the harms related to opioids among the trades. 

IHSA is offering a free, one-hour virtual session delivered via ZOOM titled: Opioid Harm Prevention – A Call to Action for Leadership within the Trades. Through small group participation, we will explore opioid use and workplace implications for the trade sector while focusing on practical real-life scenarios and peer learning. We hope you walk away empowered to make a difference in your workplace and equipped with tools and resources for your journey.

Join this powerful conversation and learn more about:

• Workplace challenges that can be a catalyst to problematic opioid use
• Solutions-focused action steps you can take right away to make a difference
• Why we need to focus on building a culture of support through talking about difficult issues together
• How using the new Opioid and Mental Health Safety talks and other tools can support the conversation and help you build solutions. 

2024 UWPC - Changes

An updated edition of the Utility Work Protection Code (UWPC) is coming soon and important changes have been made.

Download IHSA's quick-reference guide to ease your transition to the 2024 version of the Code and ensure you can work as safely as possible.

Download

Request for Participation

Working Group: Lockout tagout of all energy sources



The Provincial Labour Management Health and Safety Committee (PLMHSC) is seeking members of the Labour-Management Network to join a Working Group to look into exploring and implementing approaches to ensuring “lockout and tagout” is required for all energy sources that may endanger a worker on construction projects.

Click here to learn more and participate tagout of all energy sources

Demolition Health & Safety Manual (M069)

Your guide to health and safety for demolition work. This manual covers everything from getting the contract, to preparing for the job, to working on the site.

Topics include:

• Estimating
• Locating and Disconnecting Utilities
• Working Near Overhead Powerlines
• Traffic Control
• PPE
• Fall Prevention
• Hazards—Tools
• Hazards—Equipment
• Hazards—Work Processes
• Structural Demolition
• Soil Remediation

Occupational health resources

Everyone has the right to return home healthy at the end of each day. In the same way that we need protection from hazards such as falls, we need protection from work-related illnesses such as lung cancer.

These illnesses can range from acute to fatal. In some cases, symptoms can be reduced or reversed. But too often they become something people have to live with for the rest of their lives. The most important thing to know is that they are all preventable.

The IHSA website provides the information you need to prevent occupational illness at your workplace. It's divided into four sections to help you find the information that applies to your work.

Electrical Safety Awareness eLearning course

IHSA's Electrical Safety Awareness eLearning course examines the hazards associated with electricity and the safety measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of injury.

The goal of this course is to allow participants to better understand electricity and to make them aware of the hazards that electricity can pose in order to reduce the possibility of incidents in the workplace.

The course is presented in six modules:

• Theory
• Electrical Flow and Barriers
• Induction
• Electricity and the Body
• Step and Touch Potentials
• Safe Limits of Approach



This course is currently free for a limited time.

Latest podcast episodes available

The IHSA Safety Podcast is a free podcast that seeks to improve the lives of workers in Ontario.The latest episodes include:

Episode 73: Worker Misclassification (Part 3 of the ESDC series)

Episode 74: A Look Back at the Life of an OHS Professional

Episode 75: Hazards, Risks, Assessment, and Control

OHCOW announces month-long event on repetitive strain injuries

Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) is pleased to announce the return of its free annual international event focused on Repetitive Strain Injuries and their prevention. Now in its 25th year, OHCOW's RSI Day program continues to translate the knowledge and experience of our professional staff and guest speakers to increase awareness and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. 

Due its ever-expanding audience, this year’s event will again be held virtually, as a four-week webinar series over the month of February. Registration for this free event is required in order to participate.

For a detailed agenda, dates, times, and registration please follow the link below.  

IWH webinar asks: Is precarious employment an occupational hazard?

Precarious employment has become more common in the Canadian labour market, as well as in the labour markets of other high-income countries. In this presentation, the Institute for Work and Health (IWH) Dr. Faraz Vahid Shahidi examines the consequences of precarious employment for health and safety at work. 

Dr. Shahidi asks whether workers exposed to precarious employment – such as temporary, part-time, and low-wage jobs – are more likely to experience an occupational injury or illness.

Fleet safety and transportation news

Access monthly updates, news, and events from the Fleet Safety Council and the transportation industry that IHSA supports.