As the winter construction season slows across Ontario, builders are hurrying to comply with a little-known provision taking effect this month. Construction sites that regularly employ 10 or more workers must now have automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on location, marking a significant shift in workplace safety standards.
The regulation, tucked into amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act passed last year, represents the province’s growing recognition that construction sites pose unique cardiac risks. On-site cardiac emergencies often occur far from traditional emergency services, with workers facing heightened risk factors including physical exertion, environmental exposures, and an aging workforce.
“We lose about 35,000 Canadians to sudden cardiac arrest annually,” explained Dr. Michael Feldman, Medical Director for Toronto Paramedic Services, during a recent interview. “When someone suffers cardiac arrest, their survival chances decrease by 7-10% for every minute without defibrillation. On remote construction sites, where ambulance response might take 15 minutes or longer, these devices become literal lifesavers.”
The provincial regulation comes after years of advocacy from the Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Their joint campaign, “Hammering Heart Safety,” documented dozens of cases where construction workers experienced cardiac events on isolated sites without access to emergency equipment.
Jason Campbell, safety director for Ontario Construction Consortium, believes the mandate addresses a critical gap in workplace protection. “We’ve had hard hat requirements for generations, but until now, nothing addressing the number one killer of workers over 40,” Campbell noted at a recent industry briefing in Mississauga. “This isn’t just another compliance box to check—it’s about sending everyone home alive at the end of the day.”
The financial impact on smaller contractors has been a point of contention. Standard construction-grade AEDs range from $1,200 to $2,500, with additional costs for weatherproof casings and maintenance. The Progressive Contractors Association of Ontario initially pushed back against the universal mandate, arguing for a tiered approach based on project size.
Those concerns were partially addressed when the Ministry of Labour modified the regulation to apply only to sites consistently employing 10 or more workers, exempting smaller renovation projects and residential builds. However, the Ontario Home Builders’ Association continues to express concerns about implementation challenges.
“Our members support the intent completely,” said Rachel Goldman, spokesperson for the OHBA. “But the rollout timeline created a scramble, especially for mid-sized companies managing multiple sites simultaneously. Some suppliers are already reporting backorders on construction-grade units.”
In response to supply chain concerns, the government has implemented a grace period until April for companies that can document attempts to procure devices. This concession came after industry consultation revealed procurement delays affecting hundreds of builders across the province.
While the construction industry adjusts to the new requirement, first responders are applauding the measure. Data from Toronto Paramedic Services shows construction sites account for approximately 6% of workplace cardiac arrests, but have historically shown lower survival rates than other workplaces.
“What makes construction sites different is the combination of isolation and physical demands,” explained paramedic Joel Harrington, who serves on Ontario’s First Responders Task Force. “Many sites are temporary, multi-level, or in early development stages without established addresses. Those minutes spent just finding a patient can be fatal without on-site intervention capability.”
The regulation has prompted a surge in specialized training programs. The Infrastructure Health and Safety Association has partnered with St. John Ambulance to offer construction-specific AED training that addresses unique jobsite challenges, including using the devices while wearing required safety equipment and managing emergency responses in partially-built structures.
This initiative follows British Columbia’s implementation of similar requirements in 2022, which has already shown promising results. According to WorkSafeBC, AEDs have been deployed in 23 cardiac emergencies on construction sites since implementation, with 19 workers surviving—a significantly higher rate than pre-mandate statistics.
For Mason Rivera, a project manager with Ellis Don in Ottawa, the regulation hits close to home. “We lost a veteran electrician three years ago on a site near Kanata. The paramedics said an AED might have made the difference,” Rivera shared. “Now we’ve installed them on every site, even smaller ones that don’t technically require them. The cost is nothing compared to a life.”
The regulation represents a growing acknowledgment that workplace safety must evolve beyond traditional injury prevention to address broader health risks. Ministry of Labour statistics indicate that while traumatic injuries on construction sites have declined by 27% over the past decade, medical emergencies have remained relatively constant.
As the April enforcement deadline approaches, construction companies can access implementation guidance through the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association’s newly launched portal, which includes location planning tools, maintenance schedules, and emergency response templates tailored to construction environments.
The requirement may soon extend beyond construction. Ministry sources indicate similar mandates are being considered for other high-risk workplaces, including manufacturing facilities and remote resource extraction operations, potentially affecting thousands more Ontario workers in coming years.
