Canadian Government Creates New Asbestos Abatement Rules
Legislation & Litigation
Written by Michelle Whitmer • Edited By Walter Pacheco
Asbestos.com is the nation’s most trusted mesothelioma resource
The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com has provided patients and their loved ones the most updated and reliable information on mesothelioma and asbestos exposure since 2006.
Our team of Patient Advocates includes a medical doctor, a registered nurse, health services administrators, veterans, VA-accredited Claims Agents, an oncology patient navigator and hospice care expert. Their combined expertise means we help any mesothelioma patient or loved one through every step of their cancer journey.
More than 30 contributors, including mesothelioma doctors, survivors, health care professionals and other experts, have peer-reviewed our website and written unique research-driven articles to ensure you get the highest-quality medical and health information.
About The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com
- Assisting mesothelioma patients and their loved ones since 2006.
- Helps more than 50% of mesothelioma patients diagnosed annually in the U.S.
- A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
- 5-star reviewed mesothelioma and support organization.
Testimonials
My family has only the highest compliment for the assistance and support that we received from The Mesothelioma Center. This is a staff of compassionate and knowledgeable individuals who respect what your family is experiencing and who go the extra mile to make an unfortunate diagnosis less stressful. Information and assistance were provided by The Mesothelioma Center at no cost to our family.LashawnMesothelioma patient’s daughter
How to Cite Asbestos.com’s Article
APA
Whitmer, M. (2023, September 29). Canadian Government Creates New Asbestos Abatement Rules. Asbestos.com. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://www.asbestos.com/news/2023/05/25/new-canadian-asbestos-rules/
MLA
Whitmer, Michelle. "Canadian Government Creates New Asbestos Abatement Rules." Asbestos.com, 29 Sep 2023, https://www.asbestos.com/news/2023/05/25/new-canadian-asbestos-rules/.
Chicago
Whitmer, Michelle. "Canadian Government Creates New Asbestos Abatement Rules." Asbestos.com. Last modified September 29, 2023. https://www.asbestos.com/news/2023/05/25/new-canadian-asbestos-rules/.
Beginning in January 2024, the Canadian province of British Columbia will be the first in that country to require asbestos abatement companies to have government-issued licenses to work.
Canadian workers’ compensation statutory agency WorkSafeBC is developing requirements companies must meet to become fully licensed in the safe removal of asbestos material.
Canada banned asbestos in 2018, but many of its older buildings erected before the 1980s may still contain the toxic mineral. Unions have been pushing for strict in-person training instruction for abatement workers. The new qualifications are likely to set the bar and make an impact on the rest of Canada.
Asbestos Remains an Ongoing Threat in Canada
Despite regulations, bans and the knowledge that asbestos is linked to several forms of cancer, including mesothelioma and lung cancer, many Canadian workers are still coming into contact with asbestos on the job. Construction workers especially are being forced to deal with asbestos because of improper handling and disposal of the mineral. As long as asbestos is still present, the occupational dangers may continue into later generations.
Christopher McLeod, a public health professor at the University of British Columbia, said the negative effects of asbestos will continue for years to come.
“Over the next 20 years, even with better treatment for lung cancer and mesothelioma, hundreds of workers will contract asbestos-related disease,” McLeod said. “That’s going to happen because the exposure has already happened for them.”
Occupational Asbestos Exposure Deaths in British Columbia
In 2022, asbestos was blamed for 61 of 181 work-related deaths in British Columbia, all because of exposure many years ago. The data shows asbestos is the leading cause of death for workers there, according to WorkSafeBC.
“Because of the persistence of the material in buildings and the latency in terms of exposure and disease, we’re still seeing many, many people die of asbestos-related disease,” McLeod said. “We expect that to continue for some time.”
In 2022, WorkSafeBC officials:
- Inspected 1,238 worksites
- Handed out 1,318 orders
- Ordered 242 firms to stop work because of asbestos-related issues
WorkSafeBC said since 2002, the Canadian province has had nearly 1,200 work-related deaths linked to asbestos.
