New C-22 Asbestos Abatement Contractor Classification Became Effective on January 1, 2015

The State has added a new classification to the 43 existing classifications. Prior to this year, the Asbestos Certification was the only option to legally remove asbestos. The problem was that contractors were limited to removing asbestos within their classification. So a drywall contractor could not remove asbestos outside of the scope of his/her drywall classification.

The argument to justify the new classification was that if a contractor was qualified to remove asbestos from a home within their classification, why not allow that same contractor to remove asbestos from any part of the house since the process is the same?

The law describes the C-22 as:

"An asbestos abatement contractor performs abatement, including containment, encapsulation, or removal, and disposal of asbestos containing construction materials, as defined in Section 6501.8 of the Labor Code, in and on buildings and structures. 

All work performed and all documentation prepared by an asbestos abatement contractor shall be done in accordance with regulations and requirements of the Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH).

The C-22 Asbestos Abatement contractor classification operates as a stand-alone specialty contractor classification for asbestos abatement work, regardless of any other classification(s) that may be held by the licensed contractor, and functions within the scope of the contractor’s DOSH registration."

The Contractors State License Board requires that a C-22 contractor be registered with DOSH in order to be licensed in that classification. Proof needs to be submitted to the Board prior to any work being done in this classification. The State will issue the license without it, but proof of registration must be received by the Board within 90 days of licensure and the contractor cannot perform any asbestos work until the Board receives it.