Ontario General Contractors Association teams up with PCL & EllisDon
The Ontario General Contractors Association has teamed up with PCL Constructors Canada Inc. and EllisDon for a Safety Week campaign it’s calling ‘Stop the Drop’.
“The coming together of industry leaders such as PCL and EllisDon to focus on job site safety is great to see; safety is everyone’s business,” says Giovanni Cautillo, OGCA president.
The campaign challenges Ontario’s construction industry to take a proactive approach to prevent falling objects. Recently, construction materials fell from a high-rise in downtown Toronto, injuring two pedestrians.
According to Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, as of December 31, 2022, critical injuries caused by falling materials represent 15% of all injuries on construction sites.
“Joining forces to share best practices and work collectively to improve safety awareness on job sites is key to this year’s Safety Week theme: ‘Strong voices, safe choices.’ We look forward to this ongoing collaboration that ensures everyone goes home safely to their families at the end of each day,” adds Cautillo.
The OCGA says its vision is to help its members build a better Ontario. As part of its commitment to supporting member companies, the OGCA is collaborating with PCL and EllisDon in taking a proactive stance to guide change and champion the broader construction industry to improve safety culture.
“By collaborating with the OGCA, EllisDon and other partners, we are taking a stance to demonstrate to industry that we all have a critical role to play in improving safety on our jobsites,” says Marc Pascoli, senior vice president and district manager, PCL Toronto.
“Safety is at the heart of everything we do, and we must all hold ourselves and each other accountable to higher standards. Only together can we proactively prevent falling objects in order to protect our community, both on the jobsite and within the cities we build.”
Andrew Anderson, senior vice president and Toronto area manager, EllisDon, says while the company may have different strategic visions from its competitors, they all share safety as a priority.
"We need to come together as an industry and take additional steps towards preventing items falling from heights – an occurrence happening all too often and entirely preventable if we work together collaboratively to develop best practices and share knowledge on safety measures that will keep our workers and the public at-large protected."
The three organizations have created a Toolbox Safety Talk that both PCL Toronto and EllisDon will be distributing to their workforce during Safety Week. It provides prevention methods to avoid falling objects. These tips include guidance on how to properly secure all tools and equipment, establish a controlled access zone, and inspect and maintain equipment.
