Canadian Construction Companies Reiterate Zero Tolerance Policy

Cannabis may soon be legal for adults in Canada, but construction companies reemphasized zero tolerance policies that are still in place that ban the consumption of cannabis for employees who work in hazard-prone construction jobs.

Construction companies addressed the change in federal cannabis law. “Our rule won’t change,” Éric Côté, spokesperson for l’Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ) told the Montreal Gazette. “It will be zero tolerance for people working with weakened faculties. The employer is obliged, by law, to ensure that there is no person with weakened faculties on their work site. People with weakened faculties on a construction site increase the risk of an accident, and can even be the cause of an accident.” The ACQ inspects 24,000 construction sites per year to see if construction companies are in compliance with safety code. The organization said that the same rules will apply.

But FTQ Construction general director Yves Ouellet believes the legalization of cannabis isn’t going to be a big deal. “Alcohol is legal, and everyone doesn’t go down four scotches on their 10-minute break,” he said. FTQ Construction represents 78,000 members and is one of the largest unions in the area. Ouellet stressed that workers rights are still in place and that employees shouldn’t have to compromise their privacy.

Operating heavy machinery is not unlike driving a vehicle. Next door in Ontario, the province will have a strict zero tolerance policy when it comes to commercial and domestic drivers if they are under the influence of cannabis. Although cannabis does not impair an individual the same way that alcohol does, few places are going soft on drugged drivers.

Cannabis becomes is expected to become legal in Canada on July 1. The announcement helps clarify how industries are reacting to cannabis legalization and what everyday citizens and employees can expect.