Ontario construction businesses can get up to $2,500 for a simple purchase
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is launching a new rebate program that will give Ontario construction businesses up to $2,500 towards the purchase of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for qualifying projects.
The AED rebate program, aimed at enhancing emergency preparedness on construction sites, is intended to “make it easier for construction companies to put life-saving equipment within easy reach for their crews across the province, helping them respond to cardiac emergencies quickly and confidently,” according to the WSIB.
AEDs purchased between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2027, are eligible for rebates through the program.
“The only hard part of this deal is pronouncing defibrillator,” said Jeff Lang, WSIB President and CEO. “It couldn’t be easier for construction companies to make their sites safer by getting an AED and applying for the rebate.”
The initiative follows new Ontario regulations that mandate AEDs on construction projects expected to last longer than three months and that have 20 or more workers on site.
The rule took effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
The WSIB describes the program as a “hassle-free rebate program for eligible construction companies” designed to “improve the chances of people surviving a cardiac event and help make Ontario one of the safest places to work.”
AEDs are electronic devices used to restore normal rhythm to a person’s heart when they are in cardiac arrest. The WSIB notes that when AEDs are used together with CPR in the first few minutes after a cardiac arrest, they “can dramatically improve cardiac arrest survival rates by more than 50 per cent.”
“Seconds matter in a cardiac emergency and having a defibrillator on a construction site can save a life,” said the Hon. David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “This program puts proven, lifesaving safety tools directly on job sites and is another practical step we are taking to keep construction workers safe.”
Why are defibrillators important?
Defibrillators matter on construction sites because they are often the only realistic way to save a worker who experiences sudden cardiac arrest before paramedics can arrive.
According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart develops “abnormal or irregular heart rhythms, causing the individual to lose oxygen and blood flow to the brain and other vital organs.” On busy, physically demanding construction sites where workers may be older, exposed to heat stress or underlying health conditions, this risk is not theoretical.
CCOHS explains that AEDs are designed to automatically detect these dangerous rhythms and deliver “a controlled electric shock, known as defibrillation, to reset the heart’s normal rhythm.” Because cardiac arrest victims can die within minutes, having an AED on site – rather than several minutes away with emergency services – can be the difference between life and death.
According to a Daily Commercial News report, Ministry of Labour data found more than 15 per cent of inspection reports associated with the words cardiac or heart attack have been in the construction sector. In addition, the Heart and Stroke Foundation notes 60,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital every year in Canada and the survival rate of those incidents is typically one out of 10.
“It’s really critical to treat a heart attack or a cardiac event as quickly as possible. Using an AED in combination with CPR in the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest can increase the chance of survival by 50 per cent,” said Angela Powell, who leads the workplace safety and insurance practice at Sherrard Kuzz LLP, in the report.
