Asbestos Regulations in Canada
Asbestos use is prohibited in Canada. Each Province and Territory has it's own version of regulations dealing with asbestos removal but they are generally very similar.
Renovations, demolitions or disturbance of suspect asbestos containing materials (1990 and prior) by workers, must first be assessed, sampled, analyzed, reported on, and if necessary, it's removal monitored by qualified technicians like those at ENVIRO PROS CONSULTING.
Products historically known to contain asbestos include:
Individuals who work around asbestos must be adequately trained and protected. Employers are required to disclose the presence of asbestos to workers and provide proper protective gear, such as air-purifying respirators, before any work that may disturb asbestos.
Each province in Canada has their own specific guidelines for how to safely deal with asbestos but generally the above guidelines are the minimum requirements for working with asbestos conatining materials in Canada.
Reasons that homeowners, companies and other property owners should (and usually are required to) employ qualified consultants and technicians to deal with any potential asbestos disturbance work can be found below:
Common Types of Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos exposure can cause a number of health problems. The most dangerous is pleural mesothelioma, also known as malignant pleural mesothelioma. This cancer is typically caused by one of three types of exposure to asbestos: Occupational exposure, secondary exposure or environmental exposure.
Risks Associated with Asbestos Exposure
When airborne asbestos fibers are inhaled or swallowed, they can become lodged in the soft tissues of the lungs or abdomen. The body has significant difficulty expelling the fibers, which can trigger more than a dozen health complications, including cancer.
It often takes decades, but asbestos fibers are proven to cause asbestosis, lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma. In total, these asbestos related illnesses account for approximately 10,000 deaths in Canada each year.
About 2,000 to 3,000 of these annual deaths are caused by mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of this cancer, which develops in the lining of the lungs. Although lung cancer has other contributing causes, pleural mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos.
About 4% of all lung cancer cases in Canada are caused by asbestos exposure.Lung cancer may be caused by asbestos exposure. There is a latency period of 15 to 35 years between exposure to asbestos and the development of lung cancer, while mesothelioma develops between 20 and 50 years after exposure.
Patients diagnosed with these diseases have legal options to pursue compensation to cover medical bills and lost wages. It
Asbestos Abatement
Maintenance or demolition work that disturbs asbestos materials or they fall apart over time, the safest way to repair or remove the threat is to hire a trained and accredited asbestos professional. In most cases, hiring an abatement expert is required by law.
The government regulates proper procedures for asbestos abatement, including notifying the appropriate provincial agency before asbestos work, preventing asbestos from becoming airborne and disposing of the hazardous material properly. .
It is important for abatement workers to follow all safety precautions such as sealing off the work area and keeping asbestos-containing materials wet to help prevent asbestos dust from entering the air.
Exposure Risks in Households
Exposure is an issue because so many construction products contain asbestos. This is especially true of houses built prior to 1990, when asbestos use was more common. Household products that may contain asbestos include insulation, cement, drywall, ceiling tiles, floor tiles and other construction items. These items generally pose no risk unless they are damaged or cut.
Once an asbestos containing material is damaged, deteriorates or is disturbed, asbestos fibers can enter the air and can be inhaled or ingested. It is important to avoid remodeling or demolition projects until a professional inspector, such as ENVIRO PROS CONSULTANTS, to assess and determine the absence or potential presence of asbestos. If asbestos is found, proper abatement procedures should be followed to ensure the safety of everyone in the area.
Preventing Asbestos Exposure
If you think something in your home might contain asbestos or are unsure, you should treat it as if it does and leave it alone. Asbestos-containing products in good condition generally pose no risk unless they are damaged. But once asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, asbestos fibers can enter the air and be inhaled or ingested.
Don’t begin a remodeling or demolition project until you are sure it won’t disturb asbestos. There’s no way to tell if it contains asbestos just by looking at it. You may need to hire a professional inspector such as ENVIRO PROS CONSULTANTS to inspect, assess and (when necessary) collect samples. Samples will then be submitted to an accredited laboratory for analysis. If the analysis confrms the presence of asbestos, proper abatement procedures must be followed to ensure the safety of everyone in the area.
Enviro Pros Consulting
Copyright © 2024 Enviro Pros - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy Website Builder