Topic
Health & Safety
Toronto’s eCompliance aims to bring safety software to more job sites as U.K. firm buys $40M stake
August 13, 2019 David KennedyTORONTO—A Canadian tech company focused on workplace safety is looking to grow its business in Canada and the U.S., as well as jump the Atlantic to enter the European market, following a major investment from U.K.-based Alcumus. eCompliance, which serves…
Ottawa construction firm fined after backhoe hits and injures worker
July 30, 2019 On-Site StaffOTTAWA—A job site injury involving a backhoe on the Carleton University campus two years ago has resulted in a $70,000 fine for McDonald Brothers Construction Inc. The Ottawa-based company was in charge of a renovation project at 1125 Colonel By…
New CCA mentorship program connects innovators with contractors looking to test novel solutions
July 9, 2019 David KennedyWithout the direct input of end users, innovations are often little more than solutions in search of problems
Construction company fined for worker injured in fall off second-floor townhouse balcony
July 8, 2019 On-Site StaffOAKVILLE, Ont.—An Ottawa-based construction company has been fined for a worker injury on a job site in the Toronto suburbs last year. MC Oakvillage GP Inc. will pay a $60,000 fine, plus the province’s standard 25 per cent victim surcharge,…
Toronto-area firm fined $200,000 after worker killed by concrete panel on downtown construction site in 2017
July 2, 2019 On-Site StaffTORONTO—J.N.D. Erectors Ltd. has been ordered to pay a $200,000 fine for a health and safety violation that resulted in the death of a worker on a Toronto construction site. The fatal incident happened in March 2017 at a new…
Grote Industries offers LED hazard, warning lights for construction zones
June 13, 2019 by On-Site MagazineGrote Industries offers permanent, vacuum and magnetically mounted beacon lights in both regular and high profiles. Different strobe patterns are also available. Most of the company’s LED offerings draw 0.4 to 0.35 amps at 12 VDC. The company also offers…
Getting ready to take off: New rules to consider when using drones on construction sites
June 11, 2019 Katherine Ayre and Adrienne HoDrones can be valuable, cost-effective tools on construction sites. Typically used to conduct aerial surveys or collect data, they can also carry bitumen printers and transport payloads across long distances. As of June 1, 2019, however, drones will be subject…
Two Ottawa construction firms, site supervisors fined for death of worker on condo project site
May 31, 2019 by David KennedyOTTAWA—Two construction companies as well as a site supervisor with each firm have been fined a combined $677,500 for the death of a worker on an Ottawa condo project site just over three years ago. The victim was struck by…
Construction accident in Alberta’s energy sector kills two workers
May 8, 2019 The Canadian PressFOX CREEK, Alta.—A construction accident in northern Alberta has killed two workers. Source Energy Services says in a statement that the contractors died May 7 during work on additional storage capacity for what’s known as fracking sand at the company’s…
Missing pins possibly caused Seattle crane collapse that killed four, experts say
May 1, 2019 Gene Johnson. The Associated PressSEATTLE—It appears workers who were disassembling a construction crane had prematurely removed pins securing the sections of the crane’s mast to each other, and that could explain why it toppled April 27, killing four people, experts said. Crane accident investigator…
Four killed in crane collapse at Google campus under construction in Seattle
April 29, 2019 Lisa Baumann And Nicholas K. Geranios, The Associated PressSEATTLE—Four people died and three were injured when a construction crane on the new Google Seattle campus collapsed April 27, pinning six cars underneath. One female and three males were dead by the time firefighters got to the scene, Fire…
Ontario’s controversial Bill 66 to become law, big impact expected for construction markets in several cities
April 3, 2019 by David KennedyThe controversial bill will reclassify certain cities as “non-construction” employers, opening the door for non-union contractors to bid on public jobs
Tower collapses at Imperial Oil’s Sarnia, Ont. facility, all workers ‘accounted for’
April 3, 2019 The Canadian PressSARNIA, Ont.—Imperial Oil says “all workers have been accounted for” after a tower collapsed at its facility in Sarnia, Ont. on the evening of April 2. In a post on its Facebook page, the company says the tower was out…
Equipment transport firm fined for float trailer overturn that killed Brampton, Ont. worker in 2013
March 24, 2019 On-Site StaffBRAMPTON, Ont.—A Toronto-area company that specializes in transporting heavy equipment is facing an $85,000 fine after an Ontario appeal judge sided with the crown in a case that involved a 2013 workplace death. The incident took place on May 25,…
From the editor… The hard hat – 100 years on
February 20, 2019 by David KennedySturdy, life-saving and ubiquitous, there’s nothing in construction quite like it
Bird’s eye view: The consequences of falls from heights demand a culture shift
February 19, 2019 Jillian MorganIt 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…
Assessing the future: Job site robotics are quickly gaining ground
February 18, 2019 Jacob StollerIn 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…
Ontario man killed in road construction accident north of Toronto
January 17, 2019 The Canadian PressCALEDON, 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…
Saskatchewan company fined $80K after crane strikes scissor lift with worker inside
December 28, 2018 On-Site StaffSASKATOON, 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…
More than just dust: Silica dust health hazards and regulations
December 7, 2018 HD Supply BrafascoToo 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…