Ontario Construction News staff writer
“Every worker should be offered basic necessities like a clean washroom – for too long in the construction industry, this hasn’t been the case. The #BuildingTrades applaud ON Minister of Labour @MonteMcNaughton for this important initiative.” – CBTU
Requiring at least one women-only toilet on large construction sites is one of a host of regulatory changes being proposed by Ontario’s minister of labour, in conjunction with labour legislation set to be introduced this spring.
Monte McNaughton announced Wednesday that under new rules bathrooms on construction sites must be cleaner, safer. He is also proposing to strengthen language in a requirement that personal protective equipment be properly fitted, so women and “workers with diverse body types” are specifically taken into account.
New rules would come into force on July 1.
A Ministry of Labour bathroom inspection blitz last month at more than 1,800 construction sites found 244 violations, the most common being no toilets provided, a lack of privacy, or a lack of cleaning.
“In what other industry would this be acceptable?” McNaughton asked at a news conference.
“These are men and women, not livestock, and it’s important that they get the respect that they deserve. If we’re going to encourage men and women into the skilled trades, then we need to ensure that we have proper facilities for them to use.”
McNaughton said he hears often from women in skilled trades who feel unsafe and tell stories about deplorable bathroom conditions forcing them to leave sites to use washrooms at coffee shops.
If approved, changes would also double the number of toilets required on construction sites, require adequate lighting, hand sanitizer where there is no running water, and single toilets to be completely enclosed. Portable toilets that are only three-quarters of an adult’s height with no roof, would be banned.
While keeping toilets in a state of good repair is already required under current rules, but McNaughton said the recent blitz is proof the requirement is not being met at all sites.
“This new legislation will enhance every tool that we have to ensure that washrooms are cleaner than they ever have been on job sites” and extends good-repair requirement to urinals and cleanup facilities, such as stations with sinks.