Asbestos worker training

Occupational health and safety (OHS)

Important to know

Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Code requires that:

all workers must successfully complete government-approved asbestos training and be in possession of a valid asbestos worker certificate before they enter an asbestos restricted area
all employers must give 72 hours notification before starting asbestos projects

Overview

Restricted areas

All workers in Alberta who enter a restricted area due to an asbestos hazard must successfully complete the asbestos worker course and be in possession of a valid worker certificate.

A restricted area is defined as an area of a work site where there is a reasonable chance that the airborne concentration of asbestos, silica, coal dust or lead exceeds or may exceed the occupational exposure limit for one or more of the substances.

Non-restricted areas

Workers working with asbestos in non-restricted areas must be trained in accordance with sections 21 and 37 of the Code. This training doesn’t have to be provided by one of the approved agencies listed below.

Certification term

Asbestos worker cards expire 3 years from the date of issue.

Course description

Government-approved agencies provide asbestos worker training and issue asbestos worker cards. These agencies offer various courses on OHS safety for the asbestos worker. Each course must have the required health and safety content as described in the Occupational Health and Safety Training for Asbestos Workers Course Guidelines.

Workers are encouraged to discuss each course offered by the agency, and to ask about the length, price, hours of instruction, and materials each trainee will receive.