If you’re a Class B or Class REF contractor in British Columbia, there’s an important regulatory change coming that will directly impact your business. As of January 1, 2026, Technical Safety BC (TSBC) now requires all Class B and Class REF contractors to submit a Quality Control Program (QCP) Manual as a mandatory requirement for licence renewal. This is not optional, and many contractors are just beginning to understand what this means for their operations.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about TSBC Quality Control Program Manuals, why they matter, what TSBC expects to see, and how to prepare your shop for this new requirement without the stress and confusion that often comes with regulatory changes.
What is a TSBC Quality Control Program Manual?
A TSBC Quality Control Program Manual is a comprehensive document that outlines how your shop or contractor organization manages quality, safety, and compliance across all your welding, brazing, and pressure equipment operations. It’s essentially the rulebook for your business—a written blueprint that tells TSBC (and your clients) exactly how you maintain standards, control materials, inspect work, keep records, and respond when something goes wrong.
Think of it as a detailed instruction manual for running your shop consistently and professionally. Instead of relying on verbal instructions, institutional memory, or assumptions about how your team does things, a QCP Manual documents every critical process. This includes how you receive and inspect materials, how you develop and qualify welding procedures, how you test and qualify your welders, how you conduct inspections, how you document everything, and how you handle corrective actions when issues are identified.
The manual is not just for TSBC auditors—it’s a valuable tool for your own business. It ensures that whether you’re in the shop or someone else is running operations, the work is being done consistently, safely, and in compliance with applicable codes and standards like CSA, ASME, and TSBC requirements. Contractors who have well-organized QCP Manuals find that they experience fewer compliance issues, pass audits more smoothly, and have better client relationships because clients see that you take quality seriously.
For TSBC-licensed contractors, the QCP Manual is the evidence that you have a system in place to manage quality and safety. TSBC doesn’t just want to know that you say you follow good practices—they want to see documented proof that you actually have procedures in place and that your team is following them consistently.
New Requirement: January 1, 2026 Deadline
Effective January 1, 2026, Technical Safety BC implemented a new requirement: all Class B and Class REF contractors must submit a Quality Control Program Manual when they renew their licence. This is a significant change, and it’s one that many contractors are still coming to terms with.
What does this mean for you? If your licence comes up for renewal on or after January 1, 2026, you will need to include a QCP Manual with your renewal application. TSBC will review this manual as part of the renewal process, and your renewal may be delayed or rejected if the manual does not meet their requirements.
Important: There is a transitional period. If your licence renewal date falls before January 1, 2027, you may renew your licence without submitting the manual at that time. However, you will still be required to submit the manual by January 1, 2027. This means if your renewal is in early 2026, you can renew now under the old requirements, but you’ll need to have your QCP Manual ready and submitted by the January 1, 2027 deadline.
This transitional period was designed to give contractors time to develop their manuals without creating a bottleneck at TSBC. However, waiting until the last minute is not a good strategy. QCP Manuals typically take 4-8 weeks to develop properly, depending on the complexity of your operations and how much documentation you already have in place. If you wait until December 2026 to start the process, you’ll be in a rush, you might miss the deadline, and you’ll be working under unnecessary pressure.
The best approach is to start the process now—while you have time to do it right, to address any gaps or issues that TSBC might flag, and to have your manual approved and submitted well before the deadline.
Class B vs. Class REF: What’s the Difference?
TSBC oversees two main types of pressure equipment contractor licences: Class B and Class REF. Understanding which one applies to your business is the first step in developing the right QCP Manual.
Class B (Boiler and Pressure Vessel Contractors) covers contractors who work on boilers, pressure vessels, and pressure piping systems that are subject to TSBC regulation. This includes hot water tanks, steam boilers, air compressors, pressure vessels for industrial applications, and the piping systems that connect them. If you’re installing, servicing, modifying, or repairing these types of equipment, you likely need a Class B licence and a corresponding QCP Manual.
Class B contractors must ensure their QCP Manual covers material control, welding procedures (WPS), welder qualification (WPQ), inspection procedures, documentation and record control, and corrective action processes. The manual must demonstrate compliance with applicable codes like CSA B51 (Boiler, Pressure Vessel and Piping Code), ASME Section VIII (for pressure vessels), ASME B31.1 (for power piping), and ASME B31.3 (for process piping).
Class REF (Refrigeration Equipment Contractors) covers contractors who work on refrigeration systems, including helium refrigeration systems, ammonia systems, and other specialized refrigeration equipment. Class REF contractors work with different codes and standards than Class B contractors, particularly CSA B52 (Mechanical Refrigeration Code) and TSBC refrigeration directives.
Class REF contractors often need to include more detailed information about brazing procedures and brazer qualification in their QCP Manuals, since brazing is commonly used in refrigeration piping. The manual must also address the specific requirements of the refrigeration directives that TSBC has published (directives like D-BP 2024-06 and others that cover brazing, material traceability, and quality control for refrigeration systems).
The key difference: Class B manuals focus on welding and boiler/pressure vessel codes, while Class REF manuals focus on brazing and refrigeration-specific codes. However, both must be comprehensive, well-organized, and demonstrate that your shop has systems in place to manage quality and safety.
If your contracting business spans both categories (for example, if you do both boiler work and refrigeration work), you may need separate manuals or a combined manual that clearly addresses both sets of requirements.
What Does TSBC Expect in a Quality Manual?
TSBC has published guidelines that outline what should be included in a Quality Control Program Manual. While the exact requirements can vary slightly depending on whether you’re Class B or Class REF, there are some core sections that every QCP Manual should contain.
Section 1: Quality Policy and Objectives. This is a statement from your company leadership about your commitment to quality and safety. It should explain your company’s values, your commitment to regulatory compliance, and your quality objectives (for example, “We aim to deliver welding services that meet or exceed all applicable codes and standards” or “We are committed to 100% compliance with TSBC regulations”).
Section 2: Organization and Responsibility. This section documents your company’s structure, identifies key personnel and their roles, and explains who is responsible for quality, inspection, compliance, and other critical functions. It should be clear who makes decisions, who reports to whom, and who has authority over quality matters.
Section 3: Material Control. This section explains how you receive, inspect, store, and track materials (welding consumables, base materials, etc.). It must demonstrate that you verify materials meet specifications before using them, that you store them properly to prevent degradation, and that you can trace materials back to their sources if needed.
Section 4: Welding and Brazing Procedures. This is where you document your Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) and Brazing Procedure Specifications (BPS). TSBC expects to see evidence that your procedures comply with applicable codes (CSA W47.1, ASME Section IX, CSA B52, etc.) and that they have been qualified through proper testing (PQR or BPQR).
Section 5: Welder and Brazer Qualification. This section explains your process for qualifying welders and brazers, where you store their qualification records, how you track their ongoing competency, and what happens if someone fails a qualification test or if their qualification expires.
Section 6: Inspection and Testing Procedures. This covers how you conduct visual inspection (VT), non-destructive testing (NDT like X-ray, ultrasonic, dye penetrant, etc.), and any other testing required by the codes. It should explain acceptance criteria, who conducts inspections, and how you document results.
Section 7: Documentation and Record Control. This section is critical. TSBC wants to see that you have a system for keeping, organizing, and maintaining records. This includes WPS/PQR documents, welder qualification records, inspection reports, material certifications, and any other documents required by codes or regulations.
Section 8: Corrective Action Procedure. This describes what happens when something goes wrong—a weld fails inspection, a material certification is incorrect, an inspector finds non-conformance. Your manual should explain how you identify the problem, investigate root cause, take corrective action, and prevent it from happening again.
Section 9: Management Review and Internal Audits. This explains how often management reviews the QCP Manual to ensure it’s still relevant and effective, and how you conduct internal audits to verify that your team is actually following the procedures outlined in the manual.
Section 10: Personnel Training. This covers how you train welders, brazers, inspectors, and other personnel to ensure they understand and can follow your quality procedures.
When you’re developing your QCP Manual, make sure every section is written clearly in active, present-tense language. Avoid vague statements—instead of “Materials should be inspected,” say “The receiving inspector examines all incoming materials within 24 hours of receipt and compares them against the purchase order and mill certs.” Specific, documented procedures are what TSBC is looking for.
[This is where contractors often struggle most. That’s why many Class B and Class REF contractors work with quality manual specialists who understand TSBC requirements and can help develop manuals that pass TSBC review on the first submission.]
Timeline: How to Get Your QCP Manual Ready
If you’re facing the January 1, 2026 deadline (or the January 1, 2027 transitional deadline), here’s a realistic timeline for getting your QCP Manual completed and submitted.
Weeks 1-2: Gather Information and Assess Your Current State
Start by collecting everything you currently have—existing procedures, welding procedure specs, inspector certifications, material control processes, anything that documents how you currently operate. Audit your current practices against TSBC requirements to identify what you have and what’s missing. Do you have written welding procedures? Are welder qualification records organized and easy to find? What about inspection records and material traceability documentation?
Weeks 3-4: Identify Gaps
Compare what you have to what TSBC expects. Are there procedures you’ve never documented? Are there processes you need to formalize? Make a list of everything that needs to be written, updated, or created. This is also a good time to review your current practices with a critical eye—if something isn’t working well or isn’t compliant, now is the time to fix it before TSBC audits you.
Weeks 5-8: Develop or Update Procedures
This is the core work—writing or revising procedures, developing new WPS/PQR documents if needed, organizing existing records, and creating any forms or templates you’ll need. This is also the time to ensure all your welders and brazers have current qualifications documented, and that your inspection procedures are documented and followed consistently.
Weeks 9-10: Draft the Manual
Compile all your procedures into a single, well-organized document. Create a table of contents, number your sections, reference your WPS/PQR documents as exhibits, and make sure everything is easy to navigate. The manual should read like a professional document, not a collection of random notes.
Week 11: Internal Review and Testing
Before submitting to TSBC, review the manual internally. Does it accurately reflect how your shop actually operates? Are there any contradictions or gaps? Have your team review it to make sure the procedures make sense and are practical. Better to catch issues now than to have TSBC reject your submission.
Week 12+: Submit to TSBC
Submit your manual and wait for feedback. TSBC typically reviews submissions and either accepts them or provides comments for revision. If revisions are needed, you’ll have the opportunity to make changes and resubmit.
Key point: Don’t wait until December 2026. Start this process now, while you have time to do it right and to address any issues that come up.
5 Common Mistakes Contractors Make
After helping dozens of contractors through this process, we’ve identified five mistakes that come up repeatedly. Learning from others’ experiences now can save you time, frustration, and potential compliance issues.
Mistake #1: Vague, Generic Procedures
Many contractors write procedures that sound good but don’t actually describe how they work. For example: “Materials are inspected for quality.” That’s not specific enough. TSBC wants to know: Who inspects? When (within how many hours of receipt)? What exactly do they check for? Where are the inspection records kept? How long are they kept? Writing procedures that are specific and detailed takes more effort, but it’s what TSBC expects.
Mistake #2: Procedures That Don’t Match Reality
Sometimes contractors write procedures describing the “ideal” way they wish they did things, rather than how they actually do things. TSBC auditors will visit your shop and observe your actual practices. If your manual says you use a specific inspection checklist but your shop uses a different one, that’s a red flag. Your manual must reflect reality, not aspirations.
Mistake #3: Missing or Outdated Welder Qualification Records
Welders’ qualifications are a critical part of the manual. Many contractors struggle because they don’t have complete qualification records, or the records are outdated. TSBC expects to see current qualifications. If your welders’ qualifications have expired, that’s a compliance issue you need to address before submission.
Mistake #4: Inadequate Material Traceability
Class REF and some Class B contractors especially struggle with material traceability. You need to be able to demonstrate where materials came from, who approved them, and how they were stored. If you can’t trace a material back to its source or mill certificate, TSBC will flag it as non-compliant.
Mistake #5: Procrastination and Last-Minute Rushing
The most common mistake is waiting too long to start. Contractors who wait until November 2026 to begin developing their manuals are under pressure, can’t respond properly to TSBC feedback, and often end up submitting incomplete or inadequate manuals. Start now, work steadily, and you’ll have time to do it right.
How GlentWorks Can Help
Developing a TSBC Quality Control Program Manual is a significant undertaking, and it’s not something you should try to figure out alone—especially with the January 1, 2026 deadline approaching.
At GlentWorks, we specialize in helping Class B and Class REF contractors develop QCP Manuals that meet TSBC requirements and pass review on the first submission. We understand the codes, we know what TSBC is looking for, and we’ve worked with dozens of contractors to create manuals that work for their specific operations.
Here’s what we provide:
- Custom QCP Manual Development tailored to your specific shop, whether Class B or Class REF
- Brazing Procedure Development and brazer qualification support (critical for Class REF contractors)
- Compliance Review to identify gaps between your current practices and TSBC requirements
- Professional Documentation that’s clear, organized, and audit-ready
- Submission Support to guide you through the TSBC review process
Rather than trying to DIY this and potentially missing critical requirements or having to resubmit, working with an expert means you get it right the first time. We can help you avoid the five common mistakes we outlined above, and we bring years of TSBC compliance experience to the table.
The investment in professional QCP Manual development is typically far less than the cost of delays, rejected submissions, or compliance issues discovered during an audit.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re a Class B or Class REF contractor and you need a TSBC Quality Control Program Manual, the time to start is now. The January 1, 2026 deadline is firm, and contractors who wait until the last minute often find themselves stressed and unprepared.
Here’s what to do next:
- Review the sections above and assess where your current procedures stand
- Contact GlentWorks for a free consultation to discuss your specific needs
- Let us help you develop a professional, TSBC-compliant QCP Manual that passes review on the first submission
Don’t let regulatory compliance stress you out. We’ve helped contractors just like you navigate this exact requirement, and we can help you too.
Get in touch with GlentWorks today to discuss your TSBC Quality Control Program Manual. We offer free initial consultations, and we can provide a timeline and estimate for your specific situation.
Your shop deserves a quality system that works—let’s build one together.
Questions about TSBC Quality Control Program Manuals? Contact us here or call 778-689-9745.