August 6, 2025 | Sherrard Kuzz LLP
Cardiac events, including sudden cardiac arrest, are a leading cause of workplace fatalities. Construction workers are at a higher risk. A defibrillator – which provides an electrical charge that can help a person’s heart return to a normal rhythm – can improve cardiac arrest survival rates by more than 50%.
To reduce cardiac arrest fatalities on Ontario construction sites, the Government of Ontario introduced O. Reg. 157/25: Construction Projects (“Regulation”) under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The Regulation, which comes into force on January 1, 2026, will require a constructor to have a defibrillator on certain project sites.
As discussed in our May 2025 briefing note, the Government of Ontario also recently introduced Bill 30, Working for Workers Seven Act, 2025. If passed, Bill 30 will provide a reimbursement mechanism through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (“WSIB”), for any constructor required to have a defibrillator on site.
To read the full Sherrard Kuzz LLP Briefing Note please click here.