New arrivals in Canada face additional vulnerabilities on the job, according to studies by Institute for Work and Health (IWH) in Toronto. Agnieszka Kosny, a of the social and behavioural sciences department at IWH says many immigrants face challenges because they don’t speak English to start with and because the experience and certification they earned in their homelands aren’t recognized in Canada. Read more.
Growing media attention to, and increasing public interest in, workplace bullying, harassment and sexual harassment has raised awareness of the issue everywhere, including in the construction industry. Read more.
The Government of Canada is committed to growing the economy, strengthening the middle class and helping those working hard to join it. As part of this commitment, action is underway on multiple fronts to ensure that construction contractors and subcontractors who do business with the federal government are paid promptly. Read more.
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) announced in an email to its board members, partner associations and corporate members that it has advised the government of Canada of its opposition to government-owned or controlled entities competing for construction contracts. Most recently, Chinese state-owned CCCC International Holding Limited’s (CCCI) announced it is seeking to acquire Aecon Group Inc., a Canadian publicly-traded construction firm. Read more.
The better a building is insulated, the less heat is lost in winter—and the less energy is needed to achieve a comfortable room temperature. The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) regularly raises the requirements for building insulation.
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2018-01-insulating-bricks-microscopic.html#jCp
Let your MP know that protecting Canada’s underground infrastructure is important! Read more.
Lafarge Canada Inc. has announced it is embarking on a million-dollar study with partners to research lower-carbon fuels at its Exshaw Cement Plant in Exshaw, Alta.
Eight lower-carbon fuels will be researched, including construction renovation/demolition waste, nonrecyclable plastic, carpets and textiles, shingles, treated wood products, wood products, rubber and tire derived fuels, said a recent statement.
The federal government has followed through on its 2016 commitment to ban asbestos with a series of regulations and other initiatives involving at least four different ministries to further control exposure to the carcinogen. Read more.
The demand for mental health and addiction services for construction workers at a B.C. treatment centre has “almost tripled” in the past year — largely driven by the fentanyl overdose epidemic. Read more.
Late last year, officials warned that a federal spending spree to repair crumbling roads and water systems could take three years longer than expected to complete, based on internal documents outlining issues with the first tranche of cash in the government’s infrastructure program. Read more.