Ontario has announced the implementation of a Construction Health and Safety Action Plan to help prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities for workers on construction sites across the province.

About 30 per cent of all work-related traumatic fatalities and occupational disease fatality claims for workplaces in Ontario occurred in the construction sector, but it only accounts for 6.7 per cent of all provincial employment and 8.4 per cent of WSIB-insured employment.

The action plan was created with input from construction employees, workers and other industry stakeholders. It contains 16 recommendations to strengthen the prevention of work-related injury and illness for construction workers on sites of all sizes in Ontario.

Ontario has already made progress on some initiatives of the Construction Health and Safety Action Plan, including: developing a web tool and mobile app to help employers and workers understand their health and safety obligations and rights for specific construction projects; building an online portal that allows building inspectors to report unsafe work practices to the government; and increasing awareness about working-at-heights training requirements, among other initiatives.

“This Action Plan is designed to ensure the health and safety of all construction workers through more targeted enforcement, exploring opportunities to expand the application of tickets, enhanced worker awareness and training by building partnerships and ensuring effective outreach strategies,” said George Gritziotis, chief prevention officer, in a press release. “We are working towards full implementation.”