On December 1, 2022, the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training, along with SkilledTradesBC (formerly ITA) introduced new regulations. These requirements exist under the Skilled Trades BC Act, which is separate from the Safety Standards Act that guides our work.
Any certificates issued by Technical Safety BC remain valid and individuals can continue to work within their current scope, but may have to meet additional requirements within the next year.
Any questions related to the Skilled Trades BC Act and what it will mean for your certification and scope of work should be referred to SkilledTradesBC.
Who is affected by the Skilled Trades BC Act
While we understand that the skilled trades certification will impact our safety partners in electrical and gas in a variety of ways, we do not yet know the full details of those changes.
The requirements to perform regulated work under the Safety Standards Act have not changed.
Individuals that we certify across Elevating Devices, Rail, Amusement Rides, Boilers, Pressure Vessels, Refrigeration and Passenger ropeways will see no changes in scope of work or renewal as a result of the new Skilled Trades BC Act and regulation.
Requirements for FSR certifications under the Electrical Safety Regulation remain the same, though individuals may have to meet additional requirements with SkilledTradesBC within the next year. We recommend that anyone practicing electrical work consult with SkilledTradesBC to confirm they meet the new requirements under their Act and regulations.
Similarly, requirements for certification under the Gas Safety Regulation have not changed, but there may be additional requirements with SkilledTradesBC within the next year. We recommend that gas fitters and gas certificate holders who are not fitters consult with SkilledTradesBC for details related to the new requirements.
Changes to regulation
In order to align the Skilled Trades BC Act and the Safety Standards Act, a number of amendments have been made to electrical, gas and BPVR regulations. Ministerial Order 363 explains these amendments in full.
Most notably, the Electrical Safety Regulation has been amended to repeal Section 12. This section refers to supervision ratios under installation permits, and means that we will no longer enforce these ratios for electrical work.
Transition period
It is our understanding that there will be a one-year transition period in order to provide time for any impacted individuals to ensure their compliance with the new SkilledTradesBC regulation.
Updates and more information
We are working closely with SkilledTradesBC to clarify any unknowns and will provide an update as soon as more information becomes available.
We are committed to providing the simplest pathway to certification and renewal to avoid gaps and maintain a strong safety system across all technologies. If you have questions related to your Technical Safety BC certification, you can use the pop-up questionnaire on this page to let us know any specific inquiries, and subscribe to our communications to ensure you’re the first to know when we are able to provide updates.