No one was injured after a 90-ton crane toppled into the new Thunder Bay courthouse early Monday morning. According to a report from the CBC, workers were sent home and construction was shut down by 10 a.m. as the Ontario…
Pure Technologies Ltd. has been awarded a contract by the Regional Municipality of York in Ontario for condition assessment and project management services for a water main that provides drinking water to the region. The contract is worth approimxately $1.2…
The Chilliwack East Dike in Chilliwack, B.C. will be receiving $2.34 million worth of upgrades, courtesy of the provincial and federal governments. The upgrades are designed to increase flood protection for more than 40,000 residents living in the flood plain,…
The Ontario College of Trades is accepting written submissions regarding appropriate journeyperson-to-apprenticeship ratios for the following trades: Group D-17: Drywall, acoustic & lathing operator; Drywall finisher and plasterer (Deadline: February 1, 2013 at 2 p.m.) Group D-18: Electrician: construction and…
The Ladder Association, the U.K.-based trade body responsible for advancing safety and best practice in the ladder industry, started a competition on Sept. 1, 2012, to raise awareness of unsafe ladder practices. The association asked the public to submit photos…
The Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) recently presented Aecon with the Certificate of Recognition (COR) in Ontario. According to the IHSA website, companies that obtain the COR certification have the ability to “demonstrate to buyers of construction that their…
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board will increase premiums by 2.5 per cent across the board in 2013 to help the organization manage $14.2 billion in unfunded liability. According to the WSIB website, the 2013 premium rate increase will assist…
Infrastructure Ontario (IO) has issued a request for qualifications for the construction of Public Health Ontario’s (PHO) Toronto public health laboratory at MaRS Centre Phase 2, located in the city’s Discovery District. The facility will be designed as a flexible…
Crews battle Great White North to build permanent crossing over Mackenzie River
It’s a moment Ryan Priestly dreads every time he does a job like this. Peering down through the windshield of his high reach excavator, carefully leaning into the controls and inching the collapsed concrete slab below him upward—the sight of…
Firefighters in the Village of Valemount, B.C. will be better equipped to battle blazes in the 2013 fire season. Starting this week, Mierau Contractors will begin construction on a $1.2-million firefighting centre, which will replace the Wildfire Management Branch’s current…
Members of the Saanich, B.C. community wanted its province government to improve safety at the Highway 17/Sayward Road intersection in Saanich, B.C., and today they got their wish. The intersection will be receiving $3-million worth of upgrades for improving safety,…
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) launched an awareness campaign on July 31, designed to make the construction industry aware of new rules and encourage people working in the sector to pre-register for coverage. The campaign dubbed, “Be Registered, Be Ready,” is…
Why crane operators are a breed apart
The Province of Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure launched its campaign to remind motorists to slow down to 60 km/hr in Orange Zone during the highway construction season. To listen to the Ministry’s new radio ad, click here.
A 3,000-kg load of concrete descends from a tower crane into a busy intersection during rush hour. A mobile crane graces an overhead power line, electrocuting the crane operator. A tower crane tips over and crushes a worker. These catastrophic…
The Work Zone Safety Alliance launched its 2012 Cone Zone campaign on July 3, an initiative designed to increase driver awareness when driving near roadside workers. The campaign promotes reducing speed, avoiding driver distractions and respecting the roadside at construction…
In April of 2012, a 53-year-old construction worker lost his life when he was buried alive in a tragic trenching accident in Lachine, Que., despite the best efforts of co-workers and emergency rescue staff. Working in trenches is a dangerous…
Want to win a FREE pair of Timberland Helix work boots? Send us a photo of your beaten up old work boots to be entered in the contest. The oldest, ugliest, most abused looking pair of boots WINS! Contest deadline is May…
Canada’s workforce is getting older. To remain competitive on the international stage, Canadian companies will need to learn to harness the knowledge, experience and talents of its aging workforce. Ian Howcroft, vice-president, Ontario Division, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, discussed the…
