{"id":23632,"date":"2023-12-01T14:27:57","date_gmt":"2023-12-01T22:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/ontario-to-do-away-with-mandatory-coroners-inquests-on-construction-site-deaths\/"},"modified":"2023-12-01T14:27:58","modified_gmt":"2023-12-01T22:27:58","slug":"ontario-to-do-away-with-mandatory-coroners-inquests-on-construction-site-deaths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/ontario-to-do-away-with-mandatory-coroners-inquests-on-construction-site-deaths\/","title":{"rendered":"Ontario to do away with mandatory coroner\u2019s inquests on construction site deaths"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Dec. 1, 2023 \u2013 Ontario intends to do away with mandatory coroner\u2019s inquests for workers who died on construction\u00a0sites, the government said Thursday.<\/p>\n

Instead, the province will conduct an annual review of\u00a0construction\u00a0site\u00a0deaths\u00a0in an effort to alleviate pressure on overloaded coroners and to give answers to families sooner, Solicitor General Michael Kerzner said.<\/p>\n

Inquests of all kinds usually take years from the time of\u00a0deaths\u00a0until they are conducted, and similar\u00a0deaths\u00a0are often examined together.<\/p>\n

The changes are part of a new omnibus justice bill the province tabled Thursday. Kerzner said it\u2019s an effort to speed up the inquest system.<\/p>\n

Families and the\u00a0construction\u00a0industry can still ask for an inquest by the Office of the Chief Coroner, which has the discretion to call one.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe proposed amendments would lead to a broader systemic examination of safety issues in construction\u00a0and would produce more sector-relevant recommendations faster,\u201d Kerzner said.<\/p>\n

Coroners will lead the annual reviews and will also bring forth recommendations, something a jury usually does at inquests.<\/p>\n

The reviews will involve a number of people, including families and those in the\u00a0construction\u00a0industry.<\/p>\n

About 40 per cent of\u00a0construction\u00a0site\u00a0deaths\u00a0over the last five years are falls from heights, Chief Coroner Dirk Huyer.<\/p>\n

The annual reviews will be made public six months later.<\/p>\n

There are usually between 20 and 30\u00a0deaths\u00a0at\u00a0construction sites every year, he said. They represent about a third of mandatory inquests.<\/p>\n

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2023.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n