New requirements to protect asbestos workers become mandatory January 1, 2024
The provincial government announced that asbestos abatement contractors who operate in B.C. must be licensed by January 1, 2024, making B.C. the first jurisdiction in Canada to implement a licensing requirement for this work.
To further ensure the safety of asbestos abatement workers, amendments to the Workers Compensation Act were made in spring 2022 to require contractors who perform this work to be licensed, and to ensure those contractors must only use trained and certified workers to perform asbestos abatement work.
Starting in September 2023, WorkSafeBC will begin to accept licence applications from contractors performing asbestos abatement work throughout the province. A registry of licensees will be published by the end of 2023.
Additionally, changes to the Act provide WorkSafeBC with the authority to administer a certification program for people conducting asbestos abatement work. The required training for worker certification is scheduled to begin this summer.
For more information:
- Read the provincial government info bulletin
- Learn more about asbestos training, certification, and licensing