Montréal, July 17, 2023 — The two-week vacation for construction workers will officially begin on Sunday, July 23, and end Saturday, August 5, inclusive.
The vacation is obligatory for the construction industry as a whole, in all sectors. However, there are exceptions to this summer holiday, including a large part of the work on civil engineering and roads. In addition, emergency work, repairs, maintenance, renovations, and modifications may continue. In total, about 80% of the workforce, employees and employers, is on vacation during these two weeks.
A historic level of activity
The year 2022 was very busy on the province’s construction sites, as activity reached a new high of 210.2 million hours declared. This is a rise of 7% over the preceding year and a historic peak for the construction industry subject to Act R-20. In this context, 197,925 employees and 27,219 employers were active in the industry.
The year 2023 began with increased activity despite the economic conjuncture, with 40.5 million hours registered in the first quarter, up 5.3% over last year. A survey conducted among the industry’s contractors, however, indicates that the volume of work may drop in coming months.
Watch out for heatstroke
The Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) would like to remind those who will be working on construction sites during the vacation period to be particularly careful on hot days. To avoid heatstroke, preventive measures concerning working in the heat must be applied.
The employer must apply preventive measures, including:
- Put off physically demanding tasks that are not essential
- Inform all workers and supervisors – current, new, temporary, and students – about the risks of heatstroke, preventive measures, signs, symptoms, and first aid
- Provide adequate supervision of workers
- Ensure that at-risk workers take a break of a specific duration every hour and increase the duration of the break as the heat rises
- Ensure that workers take their breaks in air-conditioned or shady places
- Provide workers with sufficient quantities of cool water, ensure that they have access to it and that they drink (plan for at least one glass every 20 minutes or more frequently, according to the recommendations of the Corrected Air Temperature calculator)
- Adjust the pace of work according to the temperature
To find out more, visit the CNESST website, cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/chaleur.
About the Commission de la construction du Québec
The Commission de la construction du Québec, created in 1987, is responsible for application of the Act Respecting Labour Relations, Vocational Training and Workforce Management in the Construction Industry (Act R-20), which governs the industry. It offers numerous services to the clienteles that it serves, including all aspects of vocational training, management of the workforce, and application of the construction industry’s collective agreements.
For more information, visit ccq.org.
About the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail
The CNESST provides employers and workers with a single entry point and integrated expertise with regard to labour standards, pay equity, and occupational health and safety. It has a joint governance structure. Its main mission is to manage the Fonds de la santé et de la sécurité du travail, an entirely self-financed fund of which it is the trustee.
For more information, visit cnesst.gouv.qc.ca/en.
Source:
Commission de la construction du Québec
Direction des affaires publiques et des communications
514 265-6422
medias@ccq.org
Website: ccq.org
Facebook.com/ccq
Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail
Direction générale des communications
1 866 966-4705
