Alec Caldwell
VIDEO: TV renovation gurus breaking safety rules again
Canadian Contractor canadaWhen celebrity contractors such as Mike Holmes can't get it right on the safety issues, there's no doubt that we have a Culture of Silence when it comes to health and safety in our industry
Last month, I wrote about the Culture of Silence in construction. I talked about how there are far too many people seeing safety issues and dangers on jobsites but deciding not to speak out. In my opinion, this culture of silence plagues our industry in Canada. This culture can also be seen in renovation television programs and in magazines. Even celebrity renovation gurus don’t always bother, too often, with safety equipment.
Let’s keep in mind (in Ontario) the Ministry of Labour regulations: all construction sites require everyone to follow the Occupational Health and Safety Act or face fines, job site closure, prosecution and jail time for the more serious offenders.
Here’s a recent TV clip from the Rick Mercer Report showing solar panels being installed in a subdivision in Oshawa, ON. It features Mike Holmes and a cameo appearance from David Suzuki. Although the workers in the background are wearing hard hats as required by law, the well-known TV personalities are not. Why is that?
Let me know what you think…
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