EllisDon Supports Industry Release of New Critical Risks Guideline to Strengthen Safety Across Canada

The Canadian Construction Safety Council (CCSC) has released its new Critical Risks Guideline; a practical, industry-wide framework created to prevent serious injuries and fatalities on construction sites. As a founding member of the CCSC, EllisDon helped contribute to this important resource, reinforcing our long-standing commitment to building a safer construction industry and ensuring every one of our employees return home safely at the end of the day.

A Collaborative Industry Approach to Safer Starts

The guideline identifies 13 critical risks that pose the highest potential for life‑altering harm, from working at heights to mobile equipment interactions, confined spaces, ground disturbance, and more. Each risk category includes Safe Start Checks (SSCs)—simple prompts and diagrams that help workers verify the right safeguards and controls are in place before beginning work.

This shift emphasizes proactive safety culture by empowering frontline workers to have meaningful conversations about risk, clarify responsibilities, and adopt a firm “go / no‑go” mindset that ensures work cannot begin unless conditions are safe and properly controlled.

The 13 Critical Risks Highlighted in the Guideline:

• Working at heights
• Working around mobile equipment
• Ground disturbance and excavation
• Energy isolation
• Confined spaces
• Hoisting and rigging
• Driving
• Public interface
• Working near traffic
• Working near water
• Working near live rail
• Hazardous materials
• Working near radiological sources

Each category includes practical Safe Start Checks paired with clear diagrams to support field teams, promote shared understanding, and eliminate ambiguity in high‑risk tasks.

Strengthening Industry Standards and EllisDon’s Own Safety Culture

EllisDon’s involvement in developing the Critical Risks Guideline reflects our continued commitment to advancing safety standards across the construction industry. By collaborating with other leading organizations, we help create consistent, practical tools that benefit workers across Canada; not just those on our sites.

Safety is at the core of everything we do. From our internal safety programs to our partnership in the CCSC, we remain committed to reducing serious injuries and fatalities through education, empowerment, and standardized best practices. This guideline is another step forward in supporting our people, and the broader industry, with the clarity, resources, and confidence needed to start work safely every single day.

The full Critical Risks Guideline is available for download through the Canadian Construction Safety Council.