Bill 59, An Act to modernize the occupational health and safety regime: Institute mandatory supervision of engineering works to improve prevention on construction sites Français

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Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec

Jan 19, 2021, 08:00 ET

MONTREAL, Jan. 19, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - To better prevent the risk of accidents in workplaces, the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ) recommends that MNAs expand Bill 59, An Act to modernize the occupational health and safety regime to include new mechanisms for supervising the work done on engineering structures.

"The OIQ shares Minister Boulet's aim of increasing risk prevention in workplaces. It is in this spirit that we recommend making work supervision mandatory. Supervision would not only benefit the quality and durability of structures and the environment, but also help reduce work accidents on construction sites and in industrial workplaces," commented OIQ President Kathy Baig, Eng., MBA, ASC.

Although supervision of the work done on engineering structures is an activity reserved for engineers because these structures pose an inherently higher risk, it is not mandatory at this time. As a consequence, the degree of protection afforded to the public, including workers, may vary from one construction site to another.

For construction work, the OIQ thus recommends that employers, owners or contractors be required to provide a certificate of compliance signed by an engineer for all work performed in accordance with the engineer's plan required under the Safety Code for the Construction Industry and all other regulations made under the Act respecting Occupational Health and Safety.

For the industrial sector, the OIQ recommends that employers, owners or contractors be required to furnish a certificate of compliance signed by an engineer for the installation, commissioning or testing of industrial equipment.

Other concerns
Furthermore, the OIQ encourages MNAs to ensure that all construction sites are subject to high standards for their safety measures and that individuals with occupational health and safety functions are properly trained.

The OIQ also points out that the procedure for classifying the risk level assigned to an establishment under the new Regulation respecting prevention mechanisms should be made clearer. The OIQ is puzzled by the fact that establishments such as pulp, paper and cardboard mills as well as facilities where various chemical products – including pesticides, fertilizers, paints and adhesives – are produced are classified in the "low risk" category. Even though accidents in these establishments are infrequent, the inherent risk involved in their activities is still high for workers.

The full version of the letter sent to the Committee on Labour and the Economy can be consulted on the OIQ's Web site.

About the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec
The Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec turned 100 years old in 2020. It has a membership of some 65,000 engineering professionals in all fields, except forest engineering. Its mission is to regulate the practice of engineers and support the development of the profession in the interest of protecting the public. For more information, go to oiq.qc.ca.

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SOURCE Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec

Patrick Leblanc, Senior Public Affairs Advisor, Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, Tel.: 514 441-3697 (cell)

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Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec