Topic
Health & Safety
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…
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…