What small contractors need
to know
Answers to questions often asked
What do I do if an employee is injured?
- Provide first aid immediately. Keep a record of the incident and the first aid provided (CSAO's report form RF001 is designed for this purpose).
- Take the employee to a hospital, doctor's office, or home, if necessary.
- Investigate the accident to determine whether equipment requires repair or work practices need to be changed.
- Pay the employee's wages for the day of the injury (this is a legal requirement).
- Arrange return to work with modified duties where practical.
- The injury must be reported to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) if 1) the employee loses time from work, 2) seeks medical treatment, 3) requires modified duties, or 4) earns less than regular pay as a result of the injury. In these cases, report the injury by completing a Form 7 and mailing, faxing, or delivering it to your nearest WSIB office within 3 days of learning about the injury.
What must I do before I start excavating?
The employer responsible for the excavation must request the owners of buried services such as gas and electrical lines to locate and mark their services. This process has been streamlined by the introduction of a One Call Before You Dig service in Ontario.
What must I do before I start a new project?
A constructor must file a notice of project with the Ministry of Labour if the total cost of materials and labour for the project is expected to exceed $50,000. There are other requirements that pertain to demolition, tunnels, cofferdams, etc. Refer to the construction regulation -- Ontario Regulation 213/91.
What personal protective equipment must my employees wear on a project?
Every worker must wear protective headwear and protective footwear at all times on any construction project. For safety boots, CSA-certified Grade 1 footwear meets requirements. Grade 1 boots have a green triangular CSA patch on the outside and a rectangular green label inside. For hard hats, a CSA-certified Class E meets requirements.
Eye protection is strongly recommended, especially when workers are using power tools for jobs such as grinding, sawing, chipping, and sanding. Eye protection is required for gas cutting and welding. (For more information, order Eye Protection for the Construction Industry [DS002] from Customer Service at 1-800-781-2726.)
When are my employees required to wear full body harness?
If travel restraint or a safety net is not in use, construction workers must use a fall-arrest system where they may fall
- a distance of more than 3 metres
- into water or another liquid
- onto a hazardous substance or object.
The best fall-arrest systems employ a full body harness rather than a safety belt. The construction regulation (Ontario Regulation 213/91) specifically requires that full body harnesses be worn on suspended access equipment, rolling scaffolds, and in confined spaces.
Must I have a written health and safety policy?
In Ontario, a safety program is required by law in workplaces where more than five employees are regularly employed. In these workplaces, the Occupational Health and Safety Act requires that "An employer shall prepare and review at least annually a written occupational health and safety policy and develop and maintain a program to implement that policy."
Even if a policy and program aren't legally required for your company, it's a good idea to have both. Health and safety should be managed like other aspects of your operation. A policy stating your commitment to accident prevention, and written procedures to implement that policy, can help to reduce injuries and damage, save money, cut compensation costs, and improve employee morale and productivity.
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