The Coronavirus Contractor Survey 3: Reemergence and Adaption is released as the third survey in a series of independent studies conducted by the Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS).

Between June 16 and June 19, 2020, the OCS led a Contractor’s Survey of 200 ICI contractors from across Ontario.

The survey provides insight on how the construction industry is adapting to new safety guidelines related to the coronavirus pandemic. Please click here to access the results.

Infrastructure Ontario released its Spring 2020 Pipeline Update yesterday during a webinar hosted by the Canadian Council of Public-Private Partnerships. Infrastructure Minister Laurie Scott and IO President Ehren Cory spoke to the provincial government’s 10-year $144 billion infrastructure commitment that includes a total of 37 P3 projects valued at more than $60 billion. Thirteen of these projects are currently in procurement and another 24 projects are in the pre-transaction phase.

Please click here for the full report.

The Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario has launched its third podcast in a nine-part series.

This week’s podcast is Infrastructure Ideas – Priorities for Ontario. It is part of a series called Conversations About Construction that is aimed at raising awareness about a range of issues affecting the industry and society.

Led by moderator Dave Trafford, I have a dialogue with transit researcher and journalist Stephen Wickens about the importance of building new projects such as the Ontario Line.

As you know, Steve authored the recent report, Station to Station: Why Subway-building Costs have Soared in the Toronto region, that was commissioned by RCCAO.

A link to the news release can be found here.

The impact of COVID-19 has sparked an influx of investment in construction technology on ICI worksites. The OGCA believes that this will profoundly impact the way GCs look at productivity, safety and risk.

This week, the OGCA is profiling HoloBuilder, the fastest and easiest way for construction teams to document and access site progress. With an efficient site capturing workflow, tens of thousands of construction projects leverage HoloBuilder to create a digital replica of their job sites using 360° imagery.

For owners, general contractors and subcontractors globally, HoloBuilder can link planning and execution by being the central record of construction activities, including who, what, where, when, why and how progress was made on a project. Once documented, HoloBuilder’s Computer Vision and artificial intelligence analyze progress to inform schedule, equipment usage, material delivery and safety. Benefits include allowing site capture and documentation to happen in a fraction of the time and keeping the team and all stakeholders up to date.

For more information on Holobuilder, visit Holobuilder.com.

SOSE Accreditation Program has now been launched! It is now time to make sure you are being recognized for your commitment and investment in safety and keeping your workers safe.

On Tuesday, July 14 at 2 p.m., the League of Champions Webinar Series will present Ontario’s new Safety Programs. Learn how your company can benefit from Ontario’s safety programs.

To register now, click here.

The Ministry of Labour Training and Skills Development has now launched the Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employers Program (SOSE) ONLINE.

Employers having completed recognised accredited programs such as COR 2020 can now apply for recognition from the Ministry and a financial rebate from the WSIB.

Bill Roy from the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development will provide a full explanation about Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employers Program (SOSE).

Use the following links for more information and to register for the SOSE program now:

SOSE Program Overview

CPO Occupational Health and Safety Management System Accreditation Standard

Application Portal to access CPO Occupational Health and Safety Management System Application

The application system has been designed to work with all browsers except for Internet Explorer (IE). If IE is your preferred browser, we ask that you use an alternate browser for your application.

CPO Occupational Health and Safety Management System Application Guidelines

CPO Employer Recognition Criteria

Application Portal to access CPO Employer Recognition Application

The application system has been designed to work with all browsers except for Internet Explorer (IE). If IE is your preferred browser, we ask that you use an alternate browser for your application.

CPO Employer Recognition Application Guidelines

WSIB to access financial incentive information

WSIB to access their Health and Safety Excellence Program

The webinar will also feature:

Paul Casey of the IHSA will update COR 2020, including the changes to the program, how it supports SOSE and offers you the opportunity to obtain a significant financial recognition.

Rod Cook of the WSIB will explain your opportunities with the Health and Safety Excellence Program, including using your COVID safety procedures to complete modules and build towards COR certification and SOSE.

Both programs will provide you with important building blocks for your safety system and  you will earn WSIB rebates.

Register today to take advantage of Ontario’s Safety Programs. These programs offer the opportunity to receive rebates from the WSIB.

Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Time: 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Link To Register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pco2LDqyQWe9c8I7m_u42w

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many firms to delay training, but now you can take advantage of increased online resources. Many top providers are offering online training opportunities to make it easier for your management team and employees to update skills and learn about best practice in dealing with the pandemic.

The following is an overview of some of the opportunities you should consider:

Canada-Ontario Job Grant Program: The governments are offering very attractive grants if you invest in training now. Employers can get up to $10,000 in training costs per employee from an eligible third party provider. This is an excellent opportunity. For more info, click here

Our friends at 4S Consulting have made COVID-19 training modules available to OGCA members. They are a great source of best practices and information to make sure your workers are well connected. Click here for a how to guide for self-registration, and click here for easy employer self-registration.

Norcat has now launched its Construction Supervisor Distance Learning Program. This is a great opportunity to update skills. To take advantage of this opportunity, please click here to see Norcat’s training catalogue, and click here for their upcoming training.

eCompliance provided an overview of their new offering on a recent League of Champions webinar. Ready to Work, are we ready?  is a set of online resources to support your COVID plan. Click here to see more!

Remember OGCA’s Safety Pass is available free on line. The program provides a full health and safety orientation for your employees. Click here to find out more!

Lind Equipment, experts in portable electrical equipment for the toughest workplaces, has been awarded a Canadian government contract for the innovative Lind Apollo UV-C LED Decontamination Light. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lind shifted gears and developed an industrial UV-C decontamination light to fill the gap in the UV-C light market and to help keep workplaces safe.

The Canadian government will be testing the Lind Apollo light’s decontamination capabilities in the Global Affairs HQ in Ottawa, Ontario. When the 12-week test is successful, the Lind Apollo UV-C LED light will be utilized to decontaminate important areas in the workplace, as well as for vehicles, such as ambulances, buses and even large construction trucks. You can find the link to the press release and government announcement by clicking here: 

The Lind Apollo UV-C LED Light is currently being used in businesses and construction sites around the world. Jobsites are utilizing the Apollo UV-C light to decontaminate shared tools, equipment and PPE inside a sterilization box to ensure workers have clean, sterilized equipment for each new day.

This is an unprecedented time for every person and business in Canada and around the world. We understand the challenges and are here to help you.

Our COVID-19 Resources Portal includes the latest articles from our lawyers to help people and businesses navigate the situation. They include information on changes to legislation and the impacts on various industries. We will continue to monitor these developments and publish timely updates.

We have also set up a dedicated COVID-19 email address where you can send us questions about your specific challenges. We will do our best to respond as quickly as possible.

If there are other matters we can assist you with, please contact us or your relationship partner at any time.

Construction management platforms can help you stay connected to your remote teams, but what’s the ROI?

We surveyed 651 users and compiled a report with real business results that our customers have seen. Here's a preview of what they said:

• 84% have more visibility into project health
• 83% have more confidence in exceeding profit goals
• 89% have more standardized processes

Download the report to see where they're finding value from Procore.

From Sherrard Kuzz – In a decision released last week,1 the Court of Appeal for Ontario held an employer could not rely on a valid and enforceable “without cause” provision in an employment agreement where the agreement included a “for-cause” provision that violated Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”).

Please click here to read the briefing note.

The latest issue of the Ontario Legislative Reports is now available on the OGCA website. Please click here to access the latest issue.

The Ontario Legislative Report is updated every two weeks and explains the intention and status of legislation and regulations that could impact the construction industry. For issues prior to April 2019, please contact Mary Wademan at OGCA.

Goodmans is pleased to provide you with a briefing from recent developments in Class Actions; Corporate & Commercial; Corporate Finance & Securities; Employment & Labour; Environmental Law; Litigation; and Municipal, Planning & Property Tax. Click here to see the updates, which were published by Goodmans in June.

By: Julian Toy, H.S.C., Substance Abuse Professional, Member of The Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals

Now that there is some easing of containment measures in Ontario, this may have a bit of a whip-like effect on employee’s attitudes toward COVID precautions on the jobsite.

Some employees may resist or argue if asked to use PPE or follow social distancing on the jobsite. They may not be as careful of other’s boundaries, which could cause conflict. If you notice this, understand there is a deep psychological desire in us all for things to “go back to normal”.

If you encounter these behaviors on the jobsite, be patient and explain that precautions are still necessary for safety and compliance, but admit that it is frustrating and tiring and that it will be nice once COVID 19 containment measures are rolled back.

This will help diffuse employees who are upset.

If you have questions, need training or literature, please contact Julian directly:

Direct Line: 905-866-7301
E-Mail: juliantoy@myaddictionexperts.com
Web: www.myaddictionexperts.com
Services: Fit for Duty/Drug and Alcohol training, COVID-19 Mental Health Training, Fit for Duty/Drug and Alcohol policy development, Defensible Documentation Training and employee Substance Abuse Assessments.
Literature: “Optimizing Mental Health during COVID-19” E-Booklet.
Preferred provider of Fit for Duty/Drug and Alcohol training and COVID-19 Mental Health Training - Eastern Construction Ltd.

The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) has issued a revised guide to dealing with problematic contract conditions that focuses on collaborative solutions rather than provoking standoffs with owners, explains the association’s president.

Please click here to read the article in the Daily Commercial News.

As you know, mental health touches us all, especially during these challenging times and another epidemic i.e. mental-health concerns are also growing.

One of the presenters at last year's symposium, Paul Radkowski of Life Recovery Program, has partnered with Cisco, BDC, Women of Influence, Canadian Chamber of Commerce etc, who want to support individuals, families and businesses by providing their awarded, self-directed Inward Strong program to put more tools in their resilience toolbox. Click here for more information. 

Just to let you know, this offering is available until July 25th.