The new Construction Act continues to create challenges in regards to the process for submitting a Proper Invoice.

The OGCA continues to receive questions and concerns from contractors, subtrades and owners in regards to the proper process for filing a Proper Invoice as outlined under the new Construction Act.

Recently, we received information in regards to a major Ontario owner creating a process that required them to approve the submission prior to it being accepted. In our opinion, this contravenes the Act, and we have written to that owner requesting that they change their process.

For more information, click here.

The September issue of the Canadian Construction Association Newsletter is available for viewing.

Please click here to access it. 

KWANT.AI is a real-time construction jobsite intelligence platform to increase productivity and safety. Using wearables (Kwant sensors) and mobile devices, combined with a cloud-based analytics platform, KWANT.AI collects workforce location, activities, fall and time data.

When a fall or safety incident occurs, the sensors send an instant notification to the assigned manager. Comparing planned hours and schedule to actual progress and working hours, its proprietary algorithm then provides insights on hours and recommends accurate schedule durations. It also highlights the high-risk activities, crews and workers, which enables proactive data-driven decision making. 

The benefits of using KWANT.AI include:

• Predicting delays based on historical data, planned schedule and actual job site data. Prioritize critical activities with root case to forecast & mitigate the risk.
• Early detection of slip and fall. Instant safety incident alerts, which reduces response time.
• Accurate insight on daily earned value to production rate. Analyze daily profit and loss for proactive action to increase profits. 

For more information on KWANT.AI, visit https://www.kwant.ai/ 

The League of Champions is extremely excited to announce the appointment of Judith Reda as Coordinator.

Judith comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience, with over 11 years with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and Toronto and Region Conservation Foundation, most recently as the Development Officer, Partnerships and Engagement.

This most recent position was multifaceted and not only included developing partnerships with the business and financial industries, organizing events and initiatives to promote the foundation’s mandate as well as raise funding, but also included a high degree of networking, wherein all of the partners with the foundation were interlinked. Judith was the glue that bound all those stakeholders together, and she constantly strove to make further connections where there would be mutual benefit and value added.

Judith now brings this multifaceted approach to the LoC’s members and sponsors to deliver maximum impact and effectiveness.

As the LoC’s Coordinator, Judith will manage and administer the day-to-day direction of the League; look to expand the webinar program; outreach to colleges and sponsors; and lastly, she is looking at increasing support for the members' needs and services.

The League has recently focused on acting as a forum for the industry to share best practices, provide professional advice and quickly implement health and safety protocols to deal with COVID-19.

Judith will now focus on developing the next steps of the League's plan, including recognizing and celebrating success, and the development of a speaker’s outreach program to the industry.

Construction employers now have the opportunity to build effective health and safety programs with the help of new programs from the WSIB, IHSA and the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development.

The League is engaged with members to use these programs to achieve safety excellence. Judith will support and champion the LoC’s next steps in its mission to make the Ontario construction industry, and then slowly all industries, the safest in all of Canada.

Please join us in welcoming Judith Reda to our team and should you like to introduce yourself, reach out to her, or need any assistance, please contact her directly at 905.671.3969 or electronically at judith@theloc.ca

We are pleased to share details about an exciting launch from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).

Applications for our Small Business Health and Safety Leadership Awards are now open. This year, our awards will recognize Ontario’s small businesses that showed exemplary health and safety during the pandemic and went the extra mile to keep their employees and customers safe.

The top three businesses will receive a monetary prize, $5,000 (gold), $3,000 (silver), $2,000 (bronze), and recognition at a ceremony in November. The first place winner will also be featured in a promotional video.

We know the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been especially hard on small businesses, which is why we want to show them our support. Our awards shine a light on those outstanding and resilient small business leaders who remained committed to health and safety throughout these challenging times.

Any Ontario business with fewer than 50 employees is eligible and applications can be completed online through our website. Businesses have until October 5, 2020 to apply.

For more information and to see a list of last year’s winners, please click here.

Thursday, September 17, 2020 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. EDT

On-Site and eCompliance are hosting a free webinar with certified COR consultant Cam Mitchell, who will give a thorough background on what COR is all about and why it’s important to your business. 

You’ll learn: 

• COR Basics
• COVID-19 impact on COR
• Important COR 2020 update
• How to simplify your COR journey

You can register by clicking here.

Falls continue to be one of the top causes of injury, disability and death in Ontario workplaces.

The Prevention Council is pleased to support Falls Awareness Week, an annual social awareness campaign focused on preventing falls in the workplace. For this year’s week-long campaign, September 14th-18th, the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development has collaborated with the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) to provide key fall-prevention resources for Ontario’s construction sector, where falls are consistently the leading cause of worker death and injury.

Please click here to read the full letter.

Please click here to see the course offering for Working at Heights from NORCAT.

On September 3, 2020, the Ontario Government issued a news release in which it made two announcements, each of which has a significant impact for employers in the province:

• Temporary Layoff Exemption Extended to January 2, 2021
• Leave for Parents Who Remain at Home to Provide Childcare

The attached Briefing Note summarizes the announcements. 

For more information and/or to discuss the impact on your workplace, including your return to work plans, contact your Sherrard Kuzz LLP lawyer or any member of the Sherrard Kuzz LLP team at info@sherrardkuzz.com with the subject line "COVID-19".  

The latest issue of the Ontario Legislative Reports is now available on the OGCA website.

Please click here to access the latest issue (September 9, 2020).

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 May 2019, please contact Mary Wademan at OGCA.

There are countless reasons to attend the LCI Congress.

From education and site visits to sessions specific to owners, members of the design community, trade partners and general contractors, you are guaranteed to leave with new ideas and perspectives. But perhaps the most important reason to attend is to be a part of the incredible knowledge sharing that takes place. Together, we will share stories of Lean successes and challenges as we work toward our collective goal of enhancing the efficiency, quality and safety of our projects.

Don’t miss out — registration is already open. Save the date to experience the content that you need the most to make an impact on your Lean journey.

Click here to register.