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Sobi Ragunathan, CEO of 4S, and Walid Abou-Hamde, CEO of the Ontario Road Builders’ Association, discuss the Ontario Infrastructure Academy and other safety initiatives within the construction sector. (Photo courtesy of ORBA)
In May, occupational health and safety service provider 4S Consulting Services hosted an event in Markham, Ont., bringing together industry and government leaders to discuss what safer, smarter construction looks like in 2025.
Tagged as “A Day of Safety Excellence and Innovation,” sessions at the summit explored safety trends and issues, hands-on workshops, and recognition of safety leaders and innovators. Speakers included Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, David Piccini, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board CEO Jeff Lang, Andrew Pariser, vice-president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario, and Walid Abou-Hamde, CEO of the Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA), among others.
A fireside chat session with Abou-Hamde and Sobi Ragunathan, CEO of 4S, dove into the urgent labour shortage in Ontario’s infrastructure sector, exploring how associations like ORBA are stepping up to equip the next generation of skilled workers.
“Health and safety isn’t just policy, it’s culture,” stated Abou-Hamde. “You can have all the rules in place, but if the culture doesn’t support it, it won’t last. At ORBA, safety is a core value that guides everything we do.”
He spoke about the Ontario Infrastructure Academy (OIA), which is launching soon. OIA is a new initiative building on ORBA’s existing training programs and aiming to deliver modular, safety-embedded education to help move recruits from sign-up to site-ready in a matter of weeks, with training that will be recognized across the industry, he explained.
“We need to offer young people, especially students, a clear answer to, ‘Okay, I’m interested in infrastructure, but what’s next?’ That’s exactly what the Ontario Infrastructure Academy is built to answer,” said Abou-Hamde.