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The Manitoba government recently announced that hot water will be required on large construction sites beginning April 1, 2027.

In an announcement, Labour and Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino said, “Workers shouldn’t have to choose between doing their job and having access to basic hygiene. Hot water for handwashing is a simple, common-sense standard that protects people’s health and treats workers with the dignity they deserve.”

ICI projects that exceed 600 square metres, that are higher than three storeys or have more than 25 workers must provide hot water for washing hands.

“This sets out a clear standard for how construction workers are treated and sends a strong message that cutting corners on basic conditions isn’t acceptable,” said Dave McPhail, president of Manitoba Building Trades, in the announcement.

The Winnipeg Construction Association (WCA) applauded the move.

“We’ve been advocating for the hot water hand washing requirement since at least 2022,” said Darryl Harrison, WCA spokesman. “This is just one step we can take to raise the bar for Manitoba’s construction industry. “Improving working conditions like these helps our members attract and retain a skilled, diverse workforce.”

The construction industry in other provinces has taken note of Manitoba’s hot water requirement. Their receptiveness ranges from very warm to very chilly.

David Johnson, president of the Edmonton Construction Association, says the general contractors he has talked to agree with the hot water mandate.

“It’s a question not only of hygiene, but also worker respect,” says Johnson. “I’m sure hot water will be coming to Alberta in the future.”

Brynn Bourke, executive director of the BC Building Trades Council, says, “the idea of mandating hot water on B.C. worksites is worth exploring. We should talk to the workers first and ask them what they think about the occupational health and safety amendments that B.C. adopted in 2024.”

The amendments address the provision of flush toilets on some construction sites.

Alison Casey, executive director of Mainland Nova Scotia Building Trades Council (MNSBTC) says “we hope to get there” regarding hot water on construction worksites in her province.

“We’re still early in our advocacy with the government,” says Casey. “The province has been very open and receptive to us. It recognizes our regulations are out of date.”

Recently the MNSBTC and the Cape Breton Island Building and Construction Trades Council wrote the provincial government to ask for improved access to flushable toilet facilities; female-only washrooms; and more available washrooms relative to workforce size.

“These are not simply matters of convenience — they are directly tied to worker dignity, health and safety and overall job site experience…Just as importantly, these improvements are increasingly viewed as baseline expectations by the next generation of workers entering the trades.”

Dr. Dave Baspaly, president of the Council of Construction Associations (COCA) in B.C., says many construction employers already provide hot water.

“The question is really whether a one-size-fits-all regulatory mandate makes sense across the enormous diversity of B.C. construction sites, from a downtown Vancouver highrise to a remote infrastructure project in the Interior,” says Baspaly.

What concerns COCA is “cost and practicability.”

“We’d want any new requirement to emerge from the same kind of careful, consultative process WorkSafeBC used for the 2024 washroom regulation, one that’s evidence-based, accounts for site-specific realities and gives employers reasonable time to comply,” says Baspaly.

Mike McKenna, executive director of the BC Construction Safety Alliance, is concerned mandated enhanced sanitation facilities in B.C. will make more work for regulators that will lead to higher WorkSafeBC premiums.

“Premiums are entirely paid for by employers,” says McKenna. “Things like plumbed bathrooms, feminine hygiene products onsite, hot water are great ideas and make us a better society, but should the employer pay for them when they don’t directly address injuries or diseases caused by work?

“Their sole mandate is to reduce injury rates and to make construction worksites safer.”

McKenna says “the real issue” is cleanliness, not plumbing.

“COVID taught us the importance of worksite cleanliness and that it can be attained if workers take it seriously,” he says.

Leah-Ann Maybee, a B.C. safety adviser with 26 years experience across Western Canada, says construction needs to take safety more seriously, instead of seeing it as an extra cost.

“Until industry leaders make an honest effort to stop putting production ahead of safety, hot water facilities are just a way to distract from real issues,” says Maybee. “I’d also add that more resources for men’s mental health is also needed way ahead of plumbing. Almost every company I’ve worked for in 26 years has had at least one male suicide occur.”