Get monthly financing on any service over $1000 before applicable taxes! (excluding asbestos training courses).
Get monthly financing on any service over $1000 before applicable taxes! (excluding asbestos training courses).
Choosing an Asbestos Contractor Series: 12 Things to Look For
Choosing an asbestos contractor may feel overwhelming, so we have put together a four-part series of 12 important things we think you should look for when hiring an asbestos contractor. This series will be broken into three points per post to make the information easy to digest and help you focus on a few things at a time during your search.
1. Your Contractor Should Be Licensed By WorkSafeBC
2. All Workers Hold Valid WorkSafeBC Level 2 Certificates
All workers who perform asbestos abatement work in BC must hold a valid Level 2 Asbestos Safety Certificate. These changes came into effect on January 1, 2024 to keep workers aware and safe from the dangers of asbestos. Each certified worker holds a wallet card that is issued to them directly by WorkSafeBC. While workers complete their training at training centers, the only valid certificate allowing workers to perform abatement work is issued by WorkSafeBC following the successful pass of their exam. Any other certificates from training centres are no longer deemed valid.
A reliable contractor will be willing to share their employees certificates upon request to verify that they only employ certified workers for asbestos abatement.
3. Your Contractor Should Be In Good Standing With WorkSafeBC
Ask the contractor to prove that they are in good standing with WorkSafeBC by requesting a clearance letter before and after they provide their services. To be considered “in good standing,” the contractor must be registered with WorkSafeBC and be paying their premiums. If a contractor is not in good standing or unwilling to provide a clearance letter, you as a homeowner could be held liable and potentially lose your possessions in a situation where a WorkSafeBC Officer finds health and safety protocols are not followed.
When requesting a clearance letter, the contractor will require some information from you to provide the clearance letter provided from the WorkSafeBC website including your name, mailing address, phone number and email address. (The information required may differ based on if you are an individual or a business requesting the letter.)
