Asbestos a potential issue in cleanup of older buildings damaged by tornadoes

The tornado has lifted the lid off an old hazard that usually sits quietly in older buildings without bothering anyone: asbestos.

The fibrous mineral was once a common ingredient in building materials, used for heat resistance, for strength and as insulation.

The use of asbestos in building materials fell off quickly in the late 20th century as hazards became known. Tiny asbestos fibres can embed themselves in the lungs and cause a form of cancer called mesothelioma.

Now with walls and ceilings torn apart by the fierce winds that whipped this region, the potential for asbestos risk has reappeared.

Gatineau’s public housing office has had damage to two low-rise buildings with 12 apartments in the Mont-Blue area. It’s unknown if they contain asbestos, but they were built before 1980 at a time when asbestos may have been used in the walls or ceilings.

Karina Osiecka, a spokeswoman for the Office de l’habitation de l’Outaouais, said early indications are that the risk to cleanup workers is “almost non-existent,” but they will follow the formal asbestos-handling procedures just in case.

“We’re not taking chances.” Provincial labour ministries regulate the removal of asbestos-containing materials, such as plaster, acoustic ceiling tiles, vinyl sheet flooring and insulation around pipes.

“It’s nothing to fool around with,” but at the same time, it is a

manageable renovation problem, said Gary Sharp, director of renovator services with the Canadian Home Builders’ Association.

If the asbestos is contained — if it’s in a building material such as exterior siding or shingles or floor tiles — then it stays relatively safe, Sharp said. It’s when the asbestos is loose and floating around in the air, he said, that it becomes dangerous — for instance, if it’s in floor tile and somebody took a sander to it.

The association is preparing a renovators’ manual, and one chapter deals with risks such as mould and asbestos.

Asbestos was once very common in buildings, Sharp said. “We estimated that at one time or another asbestos was used in up to 3,000 different building products.

“It could be used in pipe insulation, insulation around wood stoves, in apartment buildings as sheet material ... under the flooring as a fire retardant between units, drywall compound, electrical wire insulation, pipe insulation (and) gaskets on furnaces.”

Although there are different types of repair projects with different asbestos-control requirements, here are some of the common measures required in Ontario:

Visible dust must be removed by damp-wiping followed by highefficiency vacuuming.

Drop sheets must not be reused. They are sealed in dust-proof containers after use for disposal.

A wetting agent must be used to stop the spread of dust.

Workers must wear respirator masks and protective clothing. There are decontamination procedures for the clothing.

Workers must not eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in the work area because these activities would make them remove their masks.

Compressed air must not be used to blow away dust.

There must be a place to wash faces and hands, and workers must wash when they leave the site.

Some work sites also require warning signs and physical barriers to keep people from wandering in.