Homeowners urged to check contractors' WorkSafeBC insurance to avoid extra costs
Richmond, B.C. – WorkSafeBC encourages homeowners to check that any contractor hired is registered for workers' compensation coverage in the event of an injury while working on the homeowner's premises. With the start of summer, many home or condominium owners take advantage of warm weather to embark on renovations, whether it's fixing a deck, replacing a roof, landscaping a yard or something more extensive.
"If a homeowner has hired a contractor to complete work and that contractor isn't registered for workplace insurance, or up-to-date with their payments to WorkSafeBC, the homeowner could be liable for insurance premiums owing in connection with the work or service being performed on their behalf," says Deepak Kothary, WorkSafeBC director of assessments. "To assist homeowners in knowing which contractors have up-to-date insurance, we have made the information easy to access online."
Homeowners can request clearance letters online for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including on mobile, by filling out the clearance letter application form on www.worksafebc.com. The letter indicates whether the contractor is up-to-date in paying their insurance premiums; that being said, the letter does not rate the contractor's health and safety record and does not recommend or endorse the quality of work of the contractor.
For more information, contact the WorkSafeBC Clearance Letter Service Centre:
604 244 6380 or toll free: 1 888 922 2768.
WorkSafeBC is an independent provincial statutory agency governed by a Board of Directors that serves 2.3 million workers and more than 225,000 registered employers. WorkSafeBC was born from the historic compromise between B.C.'s workers and employers in 1917 where workers gave up the right to sue their employers and fellow workers for injuries on the job in return for a no-fault insurance program fully paid for by employers. WorkSafeBC is committed to safe and healthy workplaces and to providing return-to-work rehabilitation and legislated compensation benefits.
Contact:
Erica Simpson, Media Relations, WorkSafeBC
erica.simpson@worksafebc.com
Tel: 604 214 6934 Cell: 778 874 0281