Ontario Pushes for Cross-Canada Construction Safety Standards by 2027
Ontario’s Ministry of Labour is spending the summer drafting harmonized health and safety standards for construction workers that could eventually apply across provincial lines, Daily Commercial News reports. Labour ministers from across Canada endorsed an accelerated workplan in April tied to Ontario’s “One Canada, One Standard” campaign, with harmonized Working at Heights and Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) training targeted for Jan. 1, 2027. Consultation on Hoisting and Rigging and Trenching and Shoring standards is also slated for that date, with Entry-level Construction Worker and Construction Supervisor training collaboration set for May 2027. Ministry policy adviser Karam Sodhi said the effort aims to eliminate duplicate certification requirements that slow worker mobility. Ontario cited an example of a 1,500-worker project where retraining out-of-province workers on Working at Heights alone could add roughly $270,000 in costs and cost 10,500 lost productive hours. Ontario’s Bill 105 already contains new MEWP training standards, though the bill has not yet received royal assent. Partners plan to track progress at meetings in Nova Scotia this fall and Saskatchewan in spring 2027, alongside a push for digital credential verification by spring 2027.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Crews working across provincial borders, particularly in Alberta, B.C., and Ontario, should track the January 1, 2027 deadline for harmonized Working at Heights and MEWP training, which could eliminate costly retraining for mobile workforces.
- Firms bidding on multi-province projects should factor potential savings into 2027 labor cost estimates once Hoisting and Rigging and Trenching and Shoring consultations conclude, since Ontario and B.C. standards are being eyed as the harmonization baseline.
- Contractors should monitor Bill 105’s progress toward royal assent, since it already contains the MEWP training standard that will anchor the national framework, and watch for the planned digital credential system (targeted spring 2027) that would let workers verify certifications on-site instead of retraining.
