The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is now offering rebates of up to $2,500 to construction companies that buy automated external defibrillators for qualifying projects across Ontario.
The program launched Jan. 6 and applies to AEDs purchased between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2027. It aims to increase access to life-saving equipment on construction sites following new provincial regulations.
New mandate for larger projects
The rebate program follows Ontario regulations that now require AEDs on construction projects expected to last longer than three months with 20 or more workers on site.
“Seconds matter in a cardiac emergency and having a defibrillator on a construction site can save a life,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
Impact on survival rates
AEDs are electronic devices that restore normal heart rhythm when someone is in cardiac arrest. When used with CPR in the first few minutes after cardiac arrest, the devices can improve survival rates by more than 50 per cent, according to WSIB.
“It couldn’t be easier for construction companies to make their sites safer by getting an AED and applying for the rebate,” said Jeff Lang, WSIB President and CEO.
The board designed the program to help make Ontario one of the safest places to work by improving chances of surviving cardiac events on construction sites.
Detailed eligibility criteria and application information is available at wsib.ca/aed.
