Ontario inspectors stopped work more than 200 times during an enforcement blitz to increase compliance with safety requirements when using heavy equipment at construction sites, the Ministry of Labour said in a news release.
From Oct. 1 to Nov. 30, 2015, Ministry of Labour inspectors visited 967 construction projects. Some of the workplaces were visited more than once.
The inspectors issued 2,277 orders for violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations during the blitz. This included 268 orders to stop work on specific piece of equipment, machine, device or process in response to health and safety issues.
Of the stop work orders:
- 35 orders related to heavy equipment violations
- 53 orders involved fall protection violations
- 27 orders related to excavation violations
The labour ministry says as of March 11, 2016, 95 per cent of all the orders issued during the blitz were complied with.
Protecting workers is part of the government’s continued commitment to prevent workplace injuries and illness through its Safe At Work Ontario enforcement initiative.
For detailed data see this backgrounder.