The introduction of the new cabinet and the swearing in of Premier Ford on the front steps of the Legislature was an introduction of the public face of the new government. Behind the scenes, government itself was significantly restructured, realigned and made smaller.

The outgoing Liberal cabinet included 29 members. The new? Only 20. It is a clear indication that government will be less activist, with more focus on managing the core functions of government. Most of members are caucus veterans with extensive experience and understanding of the political dynamics. The newcomers were all selected based on expertise in various fields.

As the secondary school year officially comes to a close, League of Champions members and patrons are still advocating for health and safety. The League accompanied MySafeWork to two school events in June.

On June 11, the League partnered with Jessica Di Sabatino, MySafeWork, for a panel discussion at Father John Redmond Catholic Secondary School in Etobicoke. The standing-room-only event catered to over 200 students. Question topics ranged from harassment and the risk of potential job loss to the role of unions and the frequency of false WSIB claims.

At Mohawk College, eight Champions attended the Next Steps presentation on June 12. Next Steps is an annual event held by the Hamilton school boards in support of the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP). This is a school-to-work program for grade 11 and 12 students. Jessica Di Sabatino, MySafeWork presented to 75 signed apprentices, parents and staff.

The League of Champions thanks all those who came out to support the students and to participate in the question and answer periods.

Throughout the calendar year, the League calls on its members and patrons to participate in a variety of presentations and events. This is a wonderful way to network with fellow champions and serves to demonstrate your organization’s commitment to safety culture.

If you would like to be added to the email list to receive these and other League notifications, please contact Andrea at andrea@theLOC.ca.

The League of Champions would like to welcome its latest Industry Association Patron. The Residential Construction Council of Ontario, RESCON, was inducted into the League during RESCON’s cannabis seminar held at Eagles Nest Golf Club on June 12.

Rob Ellis, President, MySafeWork and David Frame, Director of Government Relations, OGCA were both on hand to present Andrew Pariser, RESCON Vice President, with the customary membership charter and Jersey of Courage. In conjunction with the new member induction, Rob Ellis delivered a dynamic talk on safety.

RESCON is Ontario's leading association of residential builders committed to providing leadership and fostering innovation in the industry. For more information, please visit: http://www.rescon.com

Once again, welcome to the team!

“We have a responsibility to be each other’s keeper.” – Stephen K. Benson, Benson Steel

Benson Steel held its third annual Safety Symposium on June 14 in Bolton. Stephen K. Benson hosted the event, which was open to all partners within the construction industry. General Contractors, sub-contractors, competitive fabricators, clients, engineers and architects were all invited and welcome to participate.

“If you see something, say something.” – Clive Thurston, OGCA

During the Symposium, OGCA President Clive Thurston shared a personal story about an on-the-job injury. In a powerful demonstration, he asked the audience members to raise their hands if they had been injured in a workplace accident and to keep them up if they were still feeling the effects of the injury. Many hands went and stayed up.

Craig Lesurf, Chair of the League of Champions Steering Committee & OGCA Safety Committee, talked about situational awareness. He encouraged the audience to be observant, and to identify threats and dangerous situations.

Situational Awareness = Observe + Orient + Decide + Act

The other speakers included Jeff Mitchell, a lawyer from BLG; Jack Lehman, President of Safecom Workplace Systems Ltd.; and Ian Roy, the District HSE Supervisor from League member PCL Constructors, Inc. Themes ranged from fall clearance and lanyard choices to OHSA liability and due diligence. All in all, the Symposium was an excellent event that emphasized striving towards an incident-free safety culture.

The League of Champions would like to congratulate member Peak Engineering & Construction Ltd. on its recent COR™ certification.

Peak Engineering was recommended as an example to showcase at a future COR™ conference due to several factors including its safety record, membership in the League of Champions, and its very successful first external audit.

Congratulations again, Peak! Thanks for demonstrating what it means to build an excellent safety culture.

To become a champion or for more information about the League, contact Andrea at andrea@theLOC.ca.

OGCA is thrilled to learn that the entire GEN-PRO Company, located in Burlington, Ontario successfully completed Safety Pass.

Congratulations! Working hard together as a team with one vision truly wins in the end. Excellent work! Your hard work has truly paid off. You should be proud of yourselves.

The success of this program relies on the members and we encourage all OGCA members to promote this amazing Health and Safety Orientation to your employees as well to your subtrades.

For more information on how you can get your Safety Pass, contact Lyndsy Miceli at lyndsy@ogca.ca today or click here to learn more about Safety Pass. 

It has come to our attention that many users registering for the safety pass may not have received their “confirmation of account” notification. If this is you, please contact Lyndsy Miceli so we can resolve this issue and get you online.

Those still wishing to create their own company network can do so by filling out the attached form. Once the form is complete, return it to OGCA, and a contact from SkillsPass will reach out to provide you with a one on one demonstration on how to use the SkillsPass platform.

Questions? Contact Lyndsy Miceli at OGCA at lyndsy@ogca.ca

The driving principle behind Ball Construction’s health and safety management system is worker empowerment. They continually reinforce the principle that each worker can become a proactive member of a safe workplace.

As part of these ongoing efforts, Ball’s environmental health and safety manager, Suzanne Johnson, recently visited various project sites to discuss safe working conditions. She emphasized the importance of communication, the reporting of unsafe work conditions and the need for workers to look out for each other.

To determine worker knowledge and understanding, Suzanne incorporated a worker evaluation quiz that focused on working at heights and worker rights. After the test was completed, there was an open forum to review the answers. Workers who had all five sections correct were entered into a random draw. 

Ball continues to promote safety through education, training and worker empowerment. After all, everyone has the power to change unsafe conditions and improve their work environment.

OGCA is looking to highlight what OGCA members are doing to promote a culture of safety in their company. We want to hear from you! Contact Lyndsy Miceli at lyndsy@ogca.ca

Heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable, but it’s important to identify the warning signs and to react swiftly and appropriately when they arise. Heat is a serious hazard in construction. Your body builds up heat when you work, and sweats to get rid of extra heat. But sometimes your body may not cool off fast enough. 

• Keep taking rest breaks. Rest in a cool, shady spot. Use fans.
• Stay Hydrated as much as you can, and ensure you have extra water available to workers.
• Wear light-coloured clothing made of cotton.
• Do the heaviest work in the coolest time of the day.
• Work in the shade.
• For heavy work in hot areas, take turns with other workers, so some can rest.
• If you work in protective clothing, you need more rest breaks. While on the job you should be monitored for heat-stress related symptoms, including changes in body temperature and heart rate.
• If you think someone has heat stroke, call emergency services (or 911). Immediately move the victim to the shade. Loosen his/her clothes. Wipe or spray his/her skin with cool water and fan him/her. You can use a piece of cardboard or other material as a fan.

Educate your workers on the difference between heat exhaustion vs. heatstroke:

What are the warning signs and how should you react? Protect yourself and others by knowing what the signs are.

July 3, 2018 – Kitchener, ON – Gateman-Milloy celebrated the opening of a modern new facility with its client Oxford County last week. The new building, located at 384060 Salford Rd., Salford, Ontario, was designed and built to meet aggressive energy efficiency and sustainability goals set by the County in 2015; it is anticipated the building will receive Zero Net Energy certification from the New Buildings Institute (NBI) after one year of monitoring. The building will serve as the new Waste Management & Education Centre for Oxford County. Gateman-Milloy was the construction partner on the project, working closely with Oxford County and its other partners, including Michael A. Wilson Architect (Stratford) and Zon Engineering (Cambridge), on construction execution.

As of July 1, 2018, the Construction Lien Act will be known as the Construction Act. It has been modernized and will include adjudication and prompt payment. Our friends at Gowlings WLG have compiled important information for your consideration.

For a comprehensive overview, please click here. Click here for an infographic.

The federal government has made an announcement that Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, is set to legalize the consumption of recreational Cannabis on October 17, 2018, across Canada.

It is important that OGCA members review their fit for duty policies and prepare their workforce.

To learn more about the new the new legislation and next steps for employers, click here. 

Can you confidently manage legal risk on construction projects? Now in its 8th year! Join 30+ senior legal and construction specialists to learn the skills and knowledge you need in crucial construction law concepts, including:

• Project delivery models and the key participants
• Construction contracts in general use and their key terms and issues
• Bidding and tendering, delay and impact claims, claims issues and dispute resolution 
• Liens, legal reforms, prompt payment and adjudication, and construction project perspectives 360°
• Insurance, bonding and surety, health and safety and labour

Click here for more information.

Here are three good reasons why you should attend the AATO 2018 Technical Forum: 

• Educational Opportunities. No matter how experienced you are at your business, everyone can learn. Working in a small business venture can often be isolating, and without exposure to a variety of points of view, we can miss new ideas and trends that can impact future results. The educational aspect of a conference can expose you to new ways of conducting your business and help you discover how to be more productive.
• Networking with Peers. Industry Forums provide a great opportunity to network. Often competitors from other regions of the province can become valuable resources for referrals and best-practices. Avoiding peers for fear of others discovering your competitive advantage can actually limit your own success.  Collaboration is the way to approach networking. While there are those whose intentions can be suspect, most people can help each other uncover ideas and spark inspiration when they get to know each other on a personal level.
• Position yourself as an Expert. When you are active in your industry, you can develop a reputation as an expert to your peers and your clients. Those who are engaged over the long term are often asked to speak at the events and to write articles for their industry publications. Like it or not, others like to associate with the experts in any industry. Clients feel good about doing business with those that are celebrated by their peers. If your strategy is to be the best-kept secret in your business community, you will be missing a valuable opportunity.