Quebec company uses exoskeletons to lighten workers' loads
Quebec's Atwill-Morin is using a modern tool to make the age-old profession of masonry and cement work a little easier.
The company has worked on some of Canada's largest job sites and also runs a masonry school to give apprentices a safe place to learn.
Apprentices aren't just learning the trade, they're wearing exoskeletons -- cutting-edge technology, to lighten the physical load.
"It's a hard business because there's lots heavy loads that need to be lifted. So we're talking about stone. We're talking about blocks and bricks. And it's not just a day-to-day thing. It's a career that can be 20-plus years of lifting heavy loads, getting aches and pain in the lower back," said Matthew Atwill-Morin, the company's president.
The exoskeleton is worn head-to-toe and fit to measure. It's a game changer, said journeyman Jacob Saint-Laurent.
"It feels great. It's really light and it helps me pick up things from the ground," he explained.
Initially developed for soldiers serving in Afghanistan, this technology is now making its way to construction sites.
Exoskeletons make the work easier and can reduce back injuries (CTV News)
Each kit costs thousands of dollars, but it makes good business sense over time, according to Matthew Atwill-Morin, because it keeps workers healthy and makes them more productive.
"It's the chronic pain that we're trying to get rid of. I mean the long-term injuries that are due to usage, that is due to the fact you're repeating the same movements for years and years and years," he said.
And for bigger tasks, a mechanical arm does all the heavy lifting, letting the mason focus on the work.
A mechanical arm lifts the heaviest loads (CTV News)
It also means fewer workers are needed to complete the job. For example, a two-person operation building a wall can now be done solo.
"With this tool, well, it's a one-person job now. And not only is it a one-person job, but it's easy for one person to get it done," said Atwill-Morin.
The new gear comes with the blessing of the unions and the government. Atwill-Morin said it will soon be commonplace on most job sites.
Bricklayer Jean-Marc Stelandt said it's not just making his work easier but also giving his home life a lift.
"I'm less tired on Friday. I have more energy to do things on my own, and I'm not, 'Oh baby, I can't go out tonight, my back hurts,'" he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
2 died in plane crash near Squamish, B.C., police confirm
Two people died after a plane went down in a remote area near Squamish, B.C. on Friday, authorities have confirmed.
Grayson Murray's parents say the two-time PGA Tour winner died of suicide
Grayson Murray's parents said Sunday their 30-year-old son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from a PGA Tour event.
Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
After more than 100 years, Newfoundland's unknown soldier returns home
An unknown Newfoundland soldier, who fought and died on the battlefields in northeastern France during the First World War, is back home this weekend for the first time in more than a hundred years.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
Indianapolis 500 starts after 4-hour rain delay with Kyle Larson in the field
The Indianapolis 500 started Sunday after a rain delay of four hours with NASCAR star Kyle Larson still at the track and in the race.
Some birds may use 'mental time travel,' study finds
Real quick — what did you have for lunch yesterday? Were you with anyone? Where were you? Can you picture the scene? The ability to remember things that happened to you in the past, especially to go back and recall little incidental details, is a hallmark of what psychologists call episodic memory — and new research indicates that it’s an ability humans may share with birds called Eurasian jays.