Breathe Easy: Asbestos Awareness

Yes - provincial OHS legislation in Alberta (OHS Code Part 4), BC (OHS Regulation Part 6), and Ontario (O. Reg. 278/05) all require employers to identify asbestos hazards and provide worker training before any renovation, demolition, or maintenance work begins. At the federal level, the Canada Labour Code Part II and COHSR Part XI impose the same obligation. Employers must also maintain a written Asbestos Management Program (AMP) and workers have the legal right to see the building's asbestos inventory before starting work.

Follow the Stop, Isolate, Report procedure: stop all work in the area immediately, isolate it and keep everyone out, then report to your supervisor right away. Do not attempt to clean up any debris - a standard shop vacuum or broom scatters fibers rather than capturing them; only HEPA-filtered equipment certified for asbestos use is acceptable. Under the Canada Labour Code Part II, stopping work when you suspect asbestos exposure is not only your right - it is the legally correct action, and your employer cannot retaliate against you for exercising it.

Asbestos exposure is linked to three primary diseases: asbestosis (chronic scarring of lung tissue), lung cancer, and mesothelioma - a rare and aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen. What makes asbestos uniquely dangerous is its latency period: symptoms typically do not appear for 10 to 40+ years after the original exposure. Health Canada and the Canada Labour Code Part II classify asbestos as a Class 1 carcinogen, and there is no known safe level of exposure - even a single disturbance event carries risk.

Any building constructed before the late 1980s must be treated as potentially containing asbestos until a qualified person conducts a formal survey and testing proves otherwise. Common hiding spots include spray-on fireproofing on steel beams, pipe and duct insulation, vinyl floor tiles and mastic, drywall joint compound, and textured 'popcorn' ceiling coatings. Alberta's OHS Code Part 4, BC's OHS Regulation Part 6, and Ontario's O. Reg. 278/05 all require building owners to conduct an asbestos survey and maintain an Asbestos Management Program before work begins - so request that document before you pick up any tools.

No - awareness training provides the knowledge to recognize and avoid asbestos hazards, but it does not qualify anyone to remove or repair asbestos-containing materials. Asbestos abatement requires specialized certification, fit-tested respirators, disposable full-body suits, and specific engineering controls such as negative air pressure containment. Ontario's O. Reg. 278/05 defines three types of asbestos operations (Type 1, 2, and 3) with escalating requirements for training, enclosure, and air monitoring; similar tiered systems exist under Alberta's OHS Code Part 4 and BC's OHS Regulation Part 6. Always consult your site's Asbestos Management Program and a licensed abatement contractor before any removal work begins.