Howard’s Law is poised to move forward and make Saskatchewan the first province in Canada to demand mandatory reporting of asbestos.
The bill passed its third reading in the provincial legislature Thursday. Howard’s Law will require all buildings owned by health regions, used by schools, and those owned by province to report to a public registry if they are known to have asbestos.
According to the province, other buildings can be added the enactment of regulations in the future.
The law is named after Howard Willems, a building inspector who died of a rare form of cancer caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Willems spent his last days fighting for a mandatory registry of public buildings containing the carcinogen. He was remembered through a Canadian Cancer Society impact award.
The province launched a voluntary registry of public buildings in November, however the new mandatory registry is an important step to protect Saskatchewan workers, Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Don Morgan said in a press release.
The new registry has requirements for both online and on-site reporting.
“People want and deserve to have easier access to information about the presence of asbestos in public buildings,” Health Minister Dustin Duncan said in a release. “A public registry will help provide residents with relevant information about this important issue.”
