Information Bulletin: Compliance and Enforcement Fees

This information bulletin explains Compliance and Enforcement Fees at Technical Safety BC (TSBC), including who may be subject to these fees, and the circumstances under which they may be charged.

Compliance and Enforcement Fees are intended to recover a portion of the costs associated with regulatory activities undertaken to identify and address significant non-compliance with the Safety Standards Act, associated regulations, and Technical Safety BC directives.

Compliance and Enforcement Fees are cost recovery fees and are not enforcement actions. Where warranted, these fees may be applied in addition to enforcement actions such as compliance orders, discipline orders, or monetary penalties.

 

Definitions

• Duty Holder refers to any individual or company that owns regulated systems or equipment, and/or that advertises, performs, and/or authorizes the performance of regulated work in British Columbia. Regulated work includes the installation, operation, maintenance, decommissioning, and/or disposal of regulated products and equipment.
• Significant non-compliance may include non-compliance that is serious, repeated, systemic, deliberate, or ongoing in nature, including the performance of unauthorized work.
• Unauthorized work includes regulated work performed:
  • without the required permit;
  • without the required licence or certification, including work performed outside the scope of a licence or certification;
  • by an individual who is not qualified to perform the work; or
• without any other authorization required under the Safety Standards Act or associated regulations.

Who Do These Fees Apply To?

Compliance and Enforcement Fees may apply to:

• Licence holders;
• Certificate holders;
• Owners of regulated systems or equipment (e.g., business owners, strata corporations, homeowners, landlords); and
• Individuals performing unauthorized work.

These fees may apply across all regulated technologies, except Rail.

Compliance and Enforcement Fees may be applied when significant non-compliance has been identified through compliance and enforcement activities such as investigations, inspections, audits, or other regulatory activities.

The circumstances described in this bulletin are examples of situations in which Compliance and Enforcement Fees may be applied. Duty holders found to be compliant with legislative requirements will not be subject to these fees.

 

What Types of Fees May Apply?

Where significant non-compliance is identified, one or more of the following Compliance and Enforcement Fees may be applied:

• Investigation Fees;
• Regulatory Audit Fees;



• Unauthorized Work Inspection Fees; and/or
• Reinspection of Unauthorized Work Fees.

Information regarding fee amounts can be found in the Compliance and Enforcement Fee Schedule.

The examples included in this bulletin are provided for illustrative purposes only. Actual fees will vary depending on the nature, complexity, scope, and duration of the compliance and enforcement activities undertaken.

 

Investigation Fees

An Investigation Fee may be charged when Technical Safety BC conducts an enforcement investigation and confirms significant non-compliance with legislative requirements.

Investigation Fees are only applied following the conclusion of an investigation where significant non-compliance has been substantiated. A fee will not be charged where the investigation does not establish non-compliance or where compliance is confirmed.

Investigation Fees are charged at the Professional Services Rate identified in the Compliance and Enforcement Fee Schedule. A minimum charge of two hours applies, with additional time charged at the applicable hourly rate. Depending on the complexity of the matter, investigation costs may range from approximately $8,000 to $15,000 or more.

1. Example 1: Investigation into Unpermitted Work
   
   Technical Safety BC receives information that a licensed contractor may have performed regulated work without obtaining the required permits.

   The investigation includes interviews and records review. Multiple instances of unpermitted work are confirmed.

   As a result, Technical Safety BC issues a compliance order requiring corrective action. The duty holder is charged an Investigation Fee based on time spent conducting the investigation. Investigator time spent: Approximately 10 hours ($3,350).
   
   
2. Example 2: Investigation into Ongoing Non-Compliance
   
   Technical Safety BC conducts an investigation after repeated and serious non-compliances are identified over an extended period of time. The investigation includes interviews, review of employee qualifications records analysis, and a site inspection of completed work.

   The investigation determines that the contractor failed to ensure that work performed was code compliant and did not ensure individuals performing the work were qualified.

   As a result, TSBC issues an enforcement action and applies an Investigation Fee based on the time required to conduct the investigation.

   Investigator time spent: Approximately 40 hours ($13,400)
   

 

Regulatory Audit Fees

A regulatory audit is an in-depth examination of a duty holder's records, processes, and practices conducted to determine compliance with legislative requirements.

While any duty holder may be randomly selected for an audit, at any time, there are some factors that Technical Safety BC considers when determining audit candidates:

• An investigation or event warrants an in-depth examination of records, processes, and practices to determine compliance with safety standards.
• A non-compliance(s) has been identified after an enforcement action was taken (e.g., compliance order, discipline order, or monetary penalty).
• When technical safety risks are known or suspected to exist.
• To gain a better understanding of a duty holder’s participation and connection to the safety system. This includes the suspected performance of unauthorized work.

Additional information regarding regulatory audits can be found in the Information Bulletin: Regulatory Audits.

Regulatory Audit Fees are assessed based on audit activities undertaken and the applicable rates established in the Compliance and Enforcement Fee Schedule.

Regulatory Audit Fees may be applied when an audit identifies findings of significant non-compliance. Where no findings of significant non-compliance are identified, the fee may be waived.

Regulatory Audit Fees vary depending on the scope, complexity, and duration of the audit. In 2025, contractors with audit findings of significant non-compliance were typically charged approximately $10,000 in Regulatory Audit Fees.

1. Example 1: Technical Safety BC conducts a regulatory audit of a licensed contractor to assess compliance with legislative requirements related to licensing, certification, permitting, reporting, payment of fees, advertising and regulated work activities.

Audit activities include interviews with the contractor and employees, review of contractor records and on-site inspections of regulated work.

The audit is supported by a Lead Investigating Officer (LIO), an Enforcement Investigation Specialist (EIS) and technical experts (safety officers for the applicable regulated technologies).

Activities performed by the LIO, such as audit planning, conducting interviews, evidence analysis, establishing findings and report writing, are charged at the appliable Professional Services Rate.

Activities performed by the EIS, such as audit coordination, records management, interview support, data entry, and other administrative functions, are charged at the applicable Administrative Rate.

The audit identifies findings of significant non-compliance. As a result, the duty holder is charged the applicable Regulatory Audit Fee and may also be subject to enforcement action where warranted.

Total billable time and cost: 84 hours ($14,420)

• Lead Investigating Officer: 28 hours at $335/hour
• Enforcement Investigation Specialist: 56 hours at $90/hour
  

 

Unauthorized Work Inspection

Unauthorized Work Inspection Fees may be charged when Technical Safety BC conducts an inspection related to unauthorized work.

Unauthorized work is defined at the beginning of this bulletin and includes, but is not limited to, unpermitted, unlicensed, uncertified, unqualified, and out-of-scope regulated work.

Applicable fees are outlined in the Compliance and Enforcement Fee Schedule.

 

Reinspection of Unauthorized Work

A Re-inspection of Unauthorized Work Fee may be charged when a follow up inspection of unauthorized work is required to verify that previously identified non-compliances have been corrected.

Re-inspections are conducted after Technical Safety BC has directed corrective action and must confirm that the work or equipment now complies with legislative requirements.

Applicable fees are outlined in the Compliance and Enforcement Fee Schedule.

 

Application of Fees

Where Compliance and Enforcement Fees are applied, the duty holder will be notified of the fee amount and the basis for the charge in accordance with Technical Safety BC's established processes.

Failure to pay Compliance and Enforcement Fees may result in additional regulatory consequences. Under section 18.1 of the Safety Standards Act, Technical Safety BC may refuse, suspend, or revoke a licence, certificate, permit, or other permission if fees or penalties remain unpaid.

Questions regarding the assessment of a Compliance and Enforcement Fee or an associated invoice may be directed to: complianceenforcement@technicalsafetybc.ca 

References:

• Safety Standards Act
• Fee Schedule: Compliance and Enforcement
• Information Bulletin: Regulatory Audits