Topic
Health & Safety
From the editor… Tech keeps trucking
December 5, 2018 by David KennedyIntegrating fully autonomous vehicles certainly won’t become standard on work sites for several years, but the prospect is no longer science fiction
Silica dust on the job site: Inconsistent regulations force the industry to play catch up
December 5, 2018 Jillian MorganIt 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…
Construction workers among most vulnerable to opioid-related deaths in B.C.: study
November 14, 2018 by Jillian MorganOTTAWA—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…
Cannabis in the workplace: We need an accurate measure of impairment
October 24, 2018 Andrea Furlan and Nancy CarnideThis 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…
Ontario to hold inquest into circumstances behind 2009 Metron scaffolding collapse that killed four in Toronto
October 22, 2018 The Canadian PressTORONTO—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 construction company fined $325K after worker fatally pinned by steel casing
October 18, 2018 by Jillian MorganTORONTO—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…
Engineers investigate cause of fallen concrete that struck Toronto woman at Union Station
October 17, 2018 by Jillian MorganTORONTO—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…
JLG releases bolt-on fall arrest system for boom lifts
October 15, 2018 by On-Site MagazineThe 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…
Construction worker allegedly shot in back with nail gun on Nova Scotia job site
October 15, 2018 The Canadian PressHALIFAX—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…
Nipping job site impairment in the bud: Construction industry grapples with cannabis legalization
October 2, 2018 by Jillian MorganLeft 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…
Man arrested after scaling crane at construction site in London, Ont.
September 19, 2018 by Jillian MorganLONDON, 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…
Is your job site ready for recreational cannabis?
September 4, 2018 Laura Brazil and Paola Ramirez, McMillan LLPMany contractors fear marijuana legalization will lead to increased impairment on construction sites. Here’s what you need to know to prepare
Toronto’s aging water infrastructure, high density lead to issues with flooding
August 22, 2018 Gabriele Roy, The Canadian PressTORONTO—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 emergency crews rescue, arrest another construction crane climber
August 16, 2018 The Canadian PressTORONTO—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…
Newfoundland hands out contracts for pilot program aimed at protecting roadside construction workers
August 15, 2018 by David KennedyST. JOHN’S—A new pilot program designed to keep an eye on traffic passing through construction zones will soon get underway in Newfoundland and Labrador. The province’s Department of Transportation and Works said Aug. 14 that it passed out three contracts…
Ranger Design releases new shelving for work vans
August 15, 2018 by On-Site MagazineRanger Design has released its next generation of van shelving for tradesmen on the go. The company says its 2018 lineup is has been tested for toughness, and offers durable, rattle-free shelves that allow for better organization and efficiency during…
Construction 2.0: Technology is changing construction, the industry must change with it
July 24, 2018 Paul StruthersThe construction industry in Canada is experiencing a transformation. New technologies tailored to the space are creating greater efficiency, but labour gaps are increasing, access to capital is shrinking and a trade war with the U.S. has begun. To adapt…
Construction firm, equipment operator fined after worker run over by grader
July 23, 2018 by David KennedyHAMILTON, Ont.—A worker injury on a road construction site in Hamilton, Ont. has resulted in fines for Dufferin Construction Co. and the owner/operator of a equipment rental business based in Stoney Creek, Ont. CRH Canada Group, Dufferin’s parent company, and…
Orangeville, Ont. construction company fined $60K after worker injured in flash fire
June 28, 2018 by Jillian MorganORANGEVILLE, Ont.—Construction company Roto-Mill Inc. has been fined $60,000 for its failure to prevent a hot asphalt-related flash fire that sent a worker to hospital with critical injuries in June 2016. Roto-Mill, based in Orangeville, Ont., pleaded guilty in court…
NEB approves modified Burnaby Terminal plans for Trans Mountain project, clearing way for construction to start
June 25, 2018 The Canadian PressCALGARY—The National Energy Board says it has approved modified plans for the Burnaby Terminal of the Trans Mountain pipeline project, clearing a final regulatory hurdle for construction to start. The regulator says the approved variance application will significantly improve safety…