New asbestos handling standards coming for Manitoba workers

New regulations to protect workers from asbestos exposure will come into effect in Manitoba this fall, and officials with the Manitoba Federation of Labour say they can't come soon enough, as workers continue to die from exposure.

"Asbestos is the number one occupational killer in Canada and in Manitoba," federation president Kevin Rebeck said Monday, adding that approximately six people die every year in the province from asbestos exposure.

According to the province, the regulations — which are expected to come into effect in October — will require workers to be trained and certified through an intensive training program prior to having any contact with asbestos.

"So having an intensive training program that keeps workers safe, lets them know what the proper equipment is, and allows them to do those jobs minimizing their risk is vitally important," Rebeck said. 

Asbestos was commonly used in roofing materials, insulation and other building products for decades in Canada. It was not fully banned in Canada until 2018, although its use was largely phased out by around 1990.

During demolition and construction projects, microscopic fibres of asbestos can be released and trapped in people's lungs. It's known to cause several health conditions, including cancer.

Rebeck said the new regulations are important because many people who work with the substance don't have a true understanding of how dangerous it is and how to avoid being exposed.

"For too many young workers, newcomers who might be hired to these low-wage jobs and exposed to this deadly substance without the protections that they need, this law will make a huge difference," he said.

Mark McKean, a mould and asbestos inspector for Manitoba business Breathe Easy Eco Solutions, which offers asbestos and mould remediation services in the province, said the new regulations will follow a model for asbestos exposure prevention that has been in place in B.C. since 2024, and was the first of its kind in the country.

"It's a more stringent course. It goes over risk assessments and conditions of asbestos and what to do," McKean said.

McKean said he has been hoping for years that Manitoba would start to "tighten up" its asbestos regulations, which he said he believes will now happen when the new regulations go into place this fall.

He added he believes many of the most serious asbestos exposure cases in Manitoba likely happened years or even decades ago, but says the new regulations are important so that work happening now does not lead to exposure, and possible illness or death. 

In a Monday email, a spokesperson for Manitoba Labour Minister Malaya Marcelino explained the province's rationale behind the new regulations. 

"Everyone deserves to come home safe from work, especially when dealing with hazardous materials like asbestos," the statement reads in part.

"That's why our government is moving forward with new regulations this year to better protect Manitoba workers. These changes will include mandatory safety certification for anyone handling asbestos, ensuring stronger safeguards are in place where they matter most."