B.C. to require licence for asbestos abatement contractors by 2024

By: The Canadian Press Posted:

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VICTORIA - British Columbia will soon be the first jurisdiction in Canada to implement a licensing requirement for asbestos abatement contractors.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/06/2023 (1212 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VICTORIA – British Columbia will soon be the first jurisdiction in Canada to implement a licensing requirement for asbestos abatement contractors.

The Labour Ministry says workers must be licensed by Jan. 1.

This comes following changes to the Workers Compensation Act last year, requiring that contractors who remove the cancer-causing material use only trained and certified workers.

Asbestos Removal Technologies Inc., superintendent Ryan Laitila, right, sprays amended water, as Megan Eberhart bags ceiling material during asbestos abatement in Howell, Mich., Wednesday, October 18, 2017. British Columbia will soon be the first jurisdiction in Canada to implement a licensing requirement for its asbestos abatement contractors. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Paul Sancya
Asbestos Removal Technologies Inc., superintendent Ryan Laitila, right, sprays amended water, as Megan Eberhart bags ceiling material during asbestos abatement in Howell, Mich., Wednesday, October 18, 2017. British Columbia will soon be the first jurisdiction in Canada to implement a licensing requirement for its asbestos abatement contractors. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Paul Sancya

The ministry says required training for worker certification is scheduled to begin this summer.

It says WorkSafeBC will begin to accept applications from contractors performing asbestos abatement work by September.

The ministry says the registry of those who are able to preform the work will be published by the end of the year.

“Bringing in stricter laws and controls around asbestos abatement work is essential for protecting people and the environment from the dangers of asbestos,” the ministry said in a news release Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2023.

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