Toronto, ON — There are 600,000 construction workers in Ontario, but only one in 10 are women. As a result, construction sites in Ontario are now required to have cleaner washrooms and women’s-only washrooms.
This change comes as part of proposed amendments to the Construction Projects Regulation in an attempt to “make the skilled trades more accessible to women.”
“Ensuring women have access to tools to reach their full potential in the construction industry will strengthen retention, eliminate barriers, attract talent and empower a stronger sense of belonging on-site,” said Victoria Mancinelli, director of public relations, marketing, and strategic partnerships at Liuna. The labourer’s union commended the announcement by Monte McNaughton, Ontario’s minister of labour, immigration, training, and skills development.
Improvements to washrooms on construction job sites will include having private and completely enclosed portable washrooms with adequate lighting and hand sanitizer (where running water is not reasonably possible). Ontario will also be doubling the number of toilets on most job sites.
In addition to ensuring women have access to their own washroom on the job, the Construction Projects Regulation also proposes amendment changes that give women access to properly fitting equipment such as uniforms, boots and safety harnesses. This includes providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing properly fitted to women and workers with diverse body types.
If approved and filed, the proposed changes to the Construction Projects Regulation would come into force on July 1, 2023.