The April 3 announcement by the Ontario government to suspend work on most construction sites for at least two weeks is being met with approval by employer and worker groups across the province.

The order from Premier Doug Ford sees the list of essential businesses allowed to remain open during the pandemic cut down. Work on construction sites has been cut significantly. Most industrial, commercial and institutional sites have been ordered closed. The only exceptions to that rule are those supporting work on essential projects such as healthcare facilities.

Residential construction that is already in progress is allowed to continue operations, but no new builds may be started. Public-sector infrastructure projects will also continue.

“The decision by the government of Ontario to largely shut down private sector industrial and commercial construction in the province is a difficult but necessary one, given the growing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Patrick Dillon, Business Manager of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario.

“Based on Building Trades surveys to-date, there have been no confirmed reports of construction workers being infected with COVID-19 in the workplace, which speaks to a pretty responsible contractor base, a diligent workforce, and added enforcement,” explained Dillon. “There have been some improvements to workplace hygiene and sanitary conditions, but a lot more work needs to be done, to bring existing jobsites to a standard that would be acceptable. Stronger enforcement is key in that regard, and we welcome the recent increased enforcement measures by the Ministry of Labour including the 60 added safety inspectors, as announced by Premier Ford.”

The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) and the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, both of which speak for the residential construction sector, also threw their support behind the government’s decision.

“The health and safety of our workers is the industry’s number one priority,” said David Wilkes, BILD President and CEO. “Following the recent release by the Ministry of Labour of new health and safety guidelines for construction sites during COVID-19, members have implemented strict controls to ensure worker safety. This includes additional requirements for sanitization, physical distancing, illness reporting and logging the number of workers on individual sites.”

The Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) echoed much the same message.

“We are pleased by the government’s decision to keep certain residential construction going,” said president Richard Lyall. “As the Premier has rightly noted, there are many people who are waiting for their homes to be finished in the next few weeks. We already have a significant housing crisis in Ontario and most of these homeowners who have sold their homes are at risk of being left on the street without these measures.”

For those sites that continue to operate, the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development has issued a clear directive to ensure hygiene standards are maintained, and safe distancing practices observed. The ministry has stepped up inspections on sites, and is calling for workers who have concerns about safe operating practices to report these to a site supervisor, call the ministry hotline and leave the site.