In national news, a dispute resolution panel has declared that tariffs on Canadian solar panels imposed in 2018 violated the terms of the USMCA, which took effect in 2020. The US had attempted the argument that since the tariffs predated the USMCA, they could not be litigated under that treaty.
In Ontario, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board has announced a rebate of $1.5 billion to Ontario employers, which will be drawn from a $6.4 billion reserve a mere four years after “historic mismanagement” had led to unfunded liabilities. The Ontario Nurses’ Association has released its own statement, claiming that the WSIB produced those funds by systematically reducing benefits payments to injured workers, and that any surplus should be paid to injured workers, not employers.
In Ontario, the founder of a consultancy that investigates building envelope issues has given an interview regarding the importance of factoring air-tightness into building plans before construction has commenced. This is especially relevant in an era when environmental targets are critical to many building projects, the founder explains, and because unlike other factors that can be upgraded to enhance a building’s rating post-construction, the air-tightness of a building is extremely difficult to address once critical areas are covered by cladding, insulation, and drywall.
In B.C., a Coastal GasLink construction site has been attacked by unknown assailants, who caused millions of dollars of damage to equipment and injured a responding police officer. As many as 20 people may have been involved in the highly-coordinated attack.
In B.C., the provincial government has passed new regulations protecting workers from asbestos. The Workers Compensation Act will be amended to require mandatory safety training and certification for all employers and workers involved in asbestos abatement, among other measures. There have been over 280 deaths from asbestos exposure over the last five years alone.
In Nova Scotia, the CEO of Construction Safety Nova Scotia gave an interview this week regarding the effect of the latest wave of COVID-19 on jobsite safety. Among other comments, he noted that the many disruptions caused by COVID, including on staffing, has interfered with established routines and led to an increase in construction site risk.