What to know about asbestos when renovating
Safe removal of deadly material is crucial, Al Johnson writes.
Thinking about home renovations? If your home was built before 1990, it probably contains asbestos, which will have to be removed safely before any other work can begin.
Asbestos is an odourless, colourless, naturally occurring mineral that can be found in more than 3,000 building materials used in homes built before 1990.
Some common affected materials include vinyl tiles and linoleum flooring, loose insulation such as vermiculite, roof shingles, stucco, pipe insulation, gypsumboard filling compound, patching and joint compound, and deck under-sheeting, to name a few.
In most cases, asbestos-containing materials are safe if they are in good condition and left alone. But when they are disturbed — typically by scraping, breaking, tearing or drilling — intentionally or unintentionally, asbestos can be released into the air, and exposure to harmful airborne asbestos can cause serious health concerns for anyone working or living on your property.
Asbestos-related lung diseases are preventable, yet asbestos remains the single largest killer of workers in B.C., and the numbers are on the rise. Between 2008 and 2017, 617 workers died from asbestos-related diseases, mainly from exposure decades ago, when it was still being used in building materials.
To address the issue, WorkSafeBC is complementing our prevention team’s inspection efforts with a public awareness campaign directed at homeowners. We want to ensure that homeowners who are planning on renovating or demolishing older buildings are aware of the danger hiding in plain sight, and that they contact a contractor to identify and safely remove any asbestos before a project begins.
The safe removal and disposal of asbestos is a shared responsibility. Contractors have a responsibility to protect their workers from asbestos exposure at the work site, but homeowners also need to take steps to ensure the safety of those living or working at the home.
If the entire house will be demolished, all asbestos-containing materials must be sampled and identified.
If particular areas of the home will be renovated, only those need to be surveyed. It’s crucial to identify all materials that will be disturbed, otherwise asbestos contamination may be spread throughout your house.
To properly identify asbestos in your home, you must hire a qualified testing company or asbestos surveyor.
The testing company or surveyor will take samples of possible asbestos-containing materials in your home, and send them to a lab for testing. The surveyor will then provide you with a report of the location of asbestos in your home. Once you have identified the asbestoscontaining materials in your home, the next step is to have it removed by a qualified asbestos-abatement contractor.
Make sure the contractor you use is registered and in good standing with WorkSafeBC, and that they have the knowledge, experience and equipment to safely remove the asbestos.
During asbestos removal, you may or may not need to be out of your home, provided that the proper controls are in place, and depending on the amount of work required and the affected rooms. Once the work has been completed, the abatement contractor will provide you with a report confirming that all asbestos has been removed, and your property is “asbestos-safe” and ready for demolition or renovation.
Identifying and removing asbestos is the right thing to do — not only to ensure the health and safety of those doing the work, but also that of you and your family.
Between 2008 and 2017, 617 workers died from asbestos-related diseases.