Construction workers at high risk

Recap of a Toronto Star exposé:

Workplace safety has had a spotlight shined on it, thanks in part to the Christmas Eve scaffold accident which left 4 dead. That spotlight revealed that 405 construction workers have lost their lives in Ontario since 1990.

In 2009 alone, 21 construction workers died.

Union leaders and labor activists have caused an uproar over the fact that there is a lack of proper safety inspections and oversight on the job. They also point out that the current legislation does not reflect existing construction sites; many of the practices and policies that are in place just don't match business practices in 2010.

Labour ministry spokesman countered with the stat that from 2004 to 2008 there was a 20% decrease in time lost to injuries due to more proactive inspections.

Those stats don't reflect the increased in the use of "independent contractors", most of whom are who are foreign, migrant workers looking to earn fast cash. What makes the situation tricky with "independent contractors" is that they are outside the health and safety act and the employment standards act and employers can avoid paying benefits or workplace insurance coverage.

Additionally, job inspection personnel for construction sites most often do not come from construction backgrounds. These inspectors only go through inspection training courses, which limits their effectiveness.

Then on top of that, only 1% of all workplaces in Ontario even see an inspector.

It all adds up to paint a grim picture for workplace safety, which should be an eye-opener for the Ministry of Labor.

Workplace deaths can usually be prevented with proper precautions and inspection - something that just is not happening in Ontario today.

Read the full article at the link.

Source
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Posted by: suhujitha on 2010-01-26 16:15:05

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