How asbestos removal works in Ontario

Why there is a set process

Asbestos does harm when its fibres are breathed in. A removal that releases fibres into the house leaves the building worse off than before. So every step in the process exists to keep fibres out of the air and inside the work area.

In Ontario the rules are set out in Regulation 278/05 under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It applies to employers, contractors and workers. It does not apply to an owner working in their own occupied private residence, but it does apply to anyone that owner hires.

Step 1: Find out what is there

Suspect materials are sampled and analysed by a laboratory. The result confirms whether asbestos is present and identifies the material. For most buildings covered by the regulation, the owner must have this information before arranging work that could disturb the material.

Step 2: Classify the work

The regulation sorts work into three types.

• Type 1 is the lowest risk, such as removing a small number of intact, non-friable items without breaking them.
• Type 2 covers moderate-risk work, such as removing a limited amount of friable material or working with non-friable material in ways that create some dust.
• Type 3 is the highest risk, such as removing more than a minimal amount of friable material, or using power tools on asbestos-containing material without dust control.

The type decides the precautions that must be taken.

Step 3: Notify

Before a Type 3 operation begins, the Ministry of Labour must be notified orally and in writing. Notice is also required for certain Type 2 removals of insulation of one square metre or more.

Step 4: Prepare the area

• People and belongings are moved out of the work area
• Warning signs are posted
• Heating and ventilation serving the area are shut down and openings sealed
• For Type 3 work, a full enclosure is built from plastic sheeting and kept under negative pressure with HEPA-filtered exhaust, so that air flows in and not out
• A decontamination facility is set up so that workers can remove contaminated clothing and wash before leaving

Step 5: Remove the material

Workers wear protective clothing and respirators suited to the type of work. Material is wetted where the regulation calls for it, because wet material releases far fewer fibres. It is removed with methods that limit breakage and is placed directly into waste containers.

Step 6: Package and dispose

Waste is sealed in dust-tight containers and labelled as asbestos waste. It is transported to a waste disposal site that accepts it, under Ontario’s waste management regulation. You should be able to get paperwork showing where it went.

Step 7: Clean

Every surface in the work area is HEPA-vacuumed or wet-wiped. Dry sweeping and ordinary vacuums are never used.

Step 8: Inspect and clear

The area is visually inspected. For Type 3 removal work done indoors, clearance air testing is required before the enclosure is taken down, except in a building that is about to be demolished and will be entered only by abatement and demolition workers. Having that testing done by a consultant who is independent of the removal contractor avoids a conflict of interest.

Step 9: Put the building back

Removal leaves bare pipes, open ceilings or an uninsulated attic. Reinstating insulation and finishes is a separate stage.

How long it takes

A small Type 1 or Type 2 job is often a single day. Type 3 work commonly takes several days, plus time beforehand for testing and notification.

What you can expect to receive

A properly run job leaves a paper trail. Ask for copies of the laboratory results, the written scope and classification, the Ministry notification where one was required, the clearance air test results for Type 3 work, and the waste disposal records. Keep them with your house documents. They answer questions from future buyers, insurers and contractors.

More: asbestos removal and abatement.