Privacy Policy - Applied Science Technologists & Technicians of British Columbia

This Privacy Policy applies to Applied Science Technologists & Technicians of British Columbia (“ASTTBC”, “we” or “us”), and any service providers that collect, use or disclose personal information on behalf of ASTTBC.

As part of our role as a regulatory body, we collect and manage information from our registrants, applicants, and members of the public. In doing so, we comply with applicable provincial privacy legislation and the Professional Governance Act (“PGA”) to protect applicants’, registrants’, and other individuals’ personal information. We created this Privacy Policy to comply with British Columbia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (“FIPPA”) and in particular to outline the practices we will follow in collecting, using, storing, and disclosing personal information.

Section 1 – Collecting, Using and Disclosing Personal Information

1.1 In this Privacy Policy, “personal information” means information about you as an identifiable individual, and includes such things as your name, birthdate, address, telephone number, e-mail address, educational qualifications, employment history and criminal record. Personal information does not include “contact information”, including your position or your business telephone number, address or e-mail address.

1.2 ASTTBC only collects personal information as permitted by FIPPA and the PGA. Unless you consent to some other use, we will only collect, use and disclose applicant and registrant information where necessary to fulfill the following purposes, or a consistent purpose:

To administer our services and programs, including professional standards and regulation for certification, accreditation, ethics and accountability to the public;
To plan and evaluate services and programs;
To verify identity;
To assess your qualifications and certification level;
To collect and process payments;
To conduct criminal record checks of applicants pursuant to section 36(f)(v) of the PGA;
To review and conduct investigations around complaints pursuant to the PGA and part VIII of ASTTBC’s bylaws;
To fulfill our mission statement of regulating technology professionals in order to protect the public and environment;
To send out organization information;
To maintain a publicly available directory of registrants, available on our website, as required by section 31(3) of the PGA;
To ensure a high standard of service to our registrants;
To meet regulatory requirements;
To act as authorized or required by applicable law, including the PGA (such as section 67 which requires public notification of some matters), and FIPPA (such as section 26);
To conduct surveys to enhance the provision of our services; and
To contact our registrants directly about information, products and services that may be of interest or beneficial, such as information about professional practice, recognition, careers and group services.
To ensure transparency that all decisions made are consistent with statutory obligations, there is an opportunity to publish a statement on ASTTBC’s website that it is considered a public body under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and section 15 of that Act may result in the ASTTBC not immediately disclosing information obtained through the complaints, investigations, and disciplinary processes for the reasons listed in section 15 of the Act.

1.3 We will not collect, use or disclose your personal information for any other purposes unless: (a) we obtain written consent to do so; or (b) we are authorized to do so without written consent pursuant to the provisions of FIPPA, the PGA and/or other applicable legislation, including:

When the collection, use or disclosure of personal information is permitted or required by law;
When the personal information is lawfully made available to the public;
When disciplinary decisions are published pursuant to section 75 of the PGA;
When we require legal advice;
For the purposes of collecting a debt; and
When compelling circumstances exist that threaten an individual’s health or safety.

1.4 We will obtain consent to collect, use, or disclose personal information about any individual, unless we are authorized under the PGA and/or FIPPA to make such collection, use, or disclosure without the individual’s consent. Consent may be obtained in writing, or it may be implied where the purpose for collecting, using or disclosing the relevant personal information is consistent with, and reasonably and directly connected to, a valid purpose for which an individual has already provided consent.

1.5 We will not sell or trade applicants’ or registrants’ personal information to other parties.

Section 2 – Retention and Accuracy of Personal Information

2.1 We will retain your personal information as long as may be required or permitted by applicable laws and regulations.

2.2 We will make reasonable efforts to ensure that your personal information is accurate and complete. We would ask that you provide us with updated information when your personal information changes.

2.3 Further to section 51 of ASTTBC’s bylaws, a registrant must inform the registrar within 14 days of any change of name, address, email, place of employment or other contact information previously provided to the registrar.

Section 3 – Securing Personal Information

3.1 We will take reasonable steps to ensure the security of your personal information to protect it from unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification or disposal or similar risks.

3.2 While we are a Canadian entity, we, and any service providers collecting, using or disclosing personal information on our behalf, may process or store your personal information outside of Canada where permitted by FIPPA.

3.3 We review and update our security policies and controls as technology changes to facilitate ongoing personal information security.

3.4 Some personal information is publicly available in our register pursuant to section 31(3) of the PGA and sections 31 through 31.7 of ASTTBC’s bylaws.

Section 4 – Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We will update our Privacy Policy from time to time. Unless we state otherwise, each update is automatically effective when it is posted on this web page. By continuing to be registered with ASTTBC, or by not withdrawing your application for registration within a reasonable time, you agree to be bound by the revised Privacy Policy, as amended from time to time.

Section 5 – Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, our compliance, or the information we collect or hold about you, please contact us.

Effective Date: July 7, 2021