B.C. to become first province to require asbestos abatement licensing

VICTORIA – Starting Jan. 1, 2024, British Columbia will become the first province in Canada to require asbestos abatement contractors be licensed.

Changes to the Workers Compensation Act gave WorkSafeBC the authority to administer a certification program around asbestos abatement work with the training scheduled to begin this summer, according to a news release.

Asbestos exposure is the leading cause of workplace deaths in the province, contributing to 61 out of 181 worker fatalities in 2022.

WorkSafeBC will begin accepting license applications in September and a registry of licensed contractors will be published by the end of the year.