Sturdy, life-saving and ubiquitous, there’s nothing in construction quite like it
It may be time to rethink working at heights from the ground up. Though some provinces have welcomed a marginal decline in accidents, falls remain a leading cause of injury for tradespeople of all stripes across the country. The most…
In the 1959 sci-fi novel Starship Troopers, Robert Heinlein introduced, perhaps for the first time, the concept of the powered exoskeleton — a motor-assisted armoured suit that gives its wearer superhuman strength. Since then, exoskeletons have shown up in countless…
CALEDON, Ont.—Provincial police say they’re investigating after a man died in what they describe as an industrial accident in Caledon, Ont. Police provided few details about the incident, which they say took place the afternoon of Jan. 14 at a…
SASKATOON, Sask.—Crane rental agency Prairie Crane Inc. was slapped with a $80,000 fine after a worker operating a scissor lift was truck by an overhead crane. The worker suffered serious injuries to his arm and pelvis when the scissor lift…
Too often, we think the inhalation hazard of someone cutting, grinding or chipping away at concrete, brick or ceramic – which produces silica dust – is only targeted to the individual doing the task. Many contractors and companies seem to…
Integrating fully autonomous vehicles certainly won’t become standard on work sites for several years, but the prospect is no longer science fiction
It takes decades of breathing in the fugitive dust created by drilling, cutting and grinding concrete, stone and other materials containing crystalline silica for silicosis to scar and harden the lungs. The incurable disease is one of a handful caused…
OTTAWA—Construction workers in British Columbia are facing the fatal consequences of a “drug overdose crisis.” According to a Nov. 13 report by Statistics Canada, nearly 25 per cent of those employed in B.C. prior to a fatal overdose worked in…
This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original siteNow that marijuana is legal in Canada for recreational purposes, one question…
TORONTO—A coroner’s inquest has been called into a Toronto scaffolding collapse that claimed the lives of four men almost nine years ago. Fayzullo Fazilov, Alexsandrs Bondarevs, Vladimir Korostin and Aleksey Blumberg died when the swing stage they were on collapsed…
TORONTO—A Toronto-based heavy civil construction company was fined $325,000 after a worker was killed by a runaway steel casing on a road reconstruction site in Markham, Ont. Coco Paving Inc. was handed the fine in Newmarket court Oct. 15. The…
TORONTO—A woman in her 20s was struck and injured by a piece of fallen concrete at Union Station Oct. 11. The major transit hub in downtown Toronto is currently undergoing a more than $800 million revitalization project. Paramedics transported the…
The External Bolt-On Fall Arrest System from JLG Industries, Inc. can be installed to a 36 x 72 in. or 36 x 96 in. platform mounted to a JLG boom lift. This feature allows an occupant to exit the platform…
HALIFAX—Nova Scotia’s minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs says race relations are improving in the province, but there is still a lot of work to do. Tony Ince made the comments last week after being asked about a young black…
Left high and dry, Canada’s construction industry is tackling recreational marijuana legalization with few proven tools at its disposal and the deadly threat of impairment lurking in the haze. “Cannabis changes nothing and cannabis changes everything,” says Andrew Pariser, vice…
LONDON, Ont.—A 31-year-old man was arrested Sept. 18 after climbing a crane at a construction site in downtown London. The incident occurred just a month after emergency crews apprehended yet another crane climber near Toronto’s waterfront. Police, fire and emergency medical…
Many contractors fear marijuana legalization will lead to increased impairment on construction sites. Here’s what you need to know to prepare
TORONTO—Steady rain and thunderstorm warnings in Toronto this week had residents bracing for waterlogged streets and transit delays for the third time in as many weeks, with the city saying it was prepared to respond quickly to urgent needs. The…
TORONTO—A woman who climbed into a crane cab near Toronto’s waterfront was apprehended early Aug. 16 after emergency task force workers conducted about an hour of negotiations and helped her descend to the ground. The incident took place at a…
