Canada’s Asbestos Ban in Most Workplaces to Cost Industry Little

Canada’s proposed ban on asbestos and products containing it in workplaces would end exposure to the substance for some 140,000 workers and put the country ahead of the U.S. in regulating it.

Banning asbestos, which can cause life-threatening diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer, would come at a small cost to industry, the government said. But labor groups contend the ban won’t help workers already exposed to the substance.

The proposed ban would prohibit importing and using asbestos and asbestos-containing products, requiring current users to find alternatives. But an outright ban on the fiber was rejected as it ...