Vermiculite Insulation Removal in Metro Vancouver

 Anyone who repairs, renovates, or demolishes older buildings in B.C. is at risk of inhaling asbestos fibers. Found in dozens of items in older buildings, asbestos breaks down into small fibers as it ages or when it is disturbed. Touching or moving it releases the fibers into the air, where they can linger for hours.

Workers with the highest risk of breathing the fibers include:

• Demolition and renovation contractors
• Carpenters, plumbers, and electricians
• Building owners, home inspectors, insurance adjusters, and real estate agents

Breathing in asbestos fibers damages your lungs, causing serious health problems. These include:

• Asbestosis
• Lung cancer
• Mesothelioma (a cancer)
• Pleural thickening (a lung disease)

People exposed to asbestos won't develop illnesses right away. It takes years for your health to suffer. Research shows that smokers who inhale asbestos fibers greatly increase their risk of lung cancer.

Never assume a building material is free of asbestos. You can't tell just by looking at it. If you suspect asbestos is present, stop work immediately and have a qualified asbestos professional complete an asbestos survey.

If asbestos is found, the law requires employers to hire a qualified abatement contractor to remove it. A qualified person must also certify that the worksite air is safe, following the completion of the asbestos removal work. A notice of project must be submitted to WorkSafeBC for all asbestos work. 

During the 20th century, American industries used many types of asbestos products for construction, manufacturing and chemical refining. Asbestos products are still commonly used in developing nations such as Russia, China, India and Mexico.

Common Types of Asbestos Products:

• Asbestos Adhesives: Roofing sealant, pipe lagging, duct tape, furnace cement and glue for flooring, wall panels, ceiling tiles and interior fixtures
• Asbestos Construction Mastics & Gunning Mix: Used to repair or fill industrial materials such as furnaces, tile or flooring.
• Asbestos Duct Connectors: Fabric that connects HVAC system parts together
• Asbestos Electrical Components: Ebonized panels, electrical shielding, molded cement bases, flash guard paper, wire insulation and cable wrap
• Asbestos Felt: Used in roofing, flooring and paper mills
• Asbestos Fireproofing: Firefighter gear, tar paper, paint and spray-on fireproofing
• Asbestos Gaskets: Heat-resistant seals for joining machine parts, valves and hoses
• Asbestos Insulation: Loose-fill insulation, pipe wrap, block insulation, acoustic tiles and spray-on insulation
• Asbestos Plastics: Used in tools, cookware, appliances and vehicles, especially for brake pads
• Asbestos Sheets: Corrugated cement sheets, flat cement sheets, drywall and “asbestos lumber” for roof shingles and siding
• Asbestos Textiles: Protective clothing, upholstery and fire blankets
• Asbestos Vinyl Products: Floor tiles, sheet flooring and wallpaper

Other Products That Have Contained Asbestos

• Asbestos Cigarette Filters: Used in Kent Micronite cigarettes between 1952 and 1956
• Asbestos Consumer Products: Pot holders, ashtray coasters, wicking for gas ranges, fake snow for Christmas decorations and insulation linings in hair dryers and cooking appliances
• Asbestos Laboratory Equipment: Laboratory fume hoods, equipment insulation linings, Bunsen burner mats, gauze pads and gloves
• Asbestos-Contaminated Makeup: Cosmetics made from contaminated talc
• Asbestos-Contaminated Talcum Powder: Baby powder and other personal hygiene products made from contaminated talc
• Asbestos-Contaminated Zonolite Insulation: Pour-in attic insulation made from contaminated vermiculite

To reduce the potential for injury or disease, you need to control the risks and hazards in your workplace.

The most effective way to manage the risk of exposure to asbestos is to eliminate the source of exposure. If that's not possible, there are other risk controls to use. When choosing risk controls, start by asking yourself the questions in the following steps, listed in order of effectiveness. See our resources for more information.

Elimination or substitution- Eliminating the asbestos hazard by substituting a safer material, where possible, is the most effective control. For example:

• Can you replace asbestos containing products such as brakes, clutches, or gaskets with non-asbestos substitutes?

Engineering controls- Making physical modifications to facilities, equipment, and processes can reduce exposure. Some questions to consider:

• Can asbestos containing materials be encapsulated or enclosed
• How can asbestos removal work areas be enclosed and the air filtered to prevent the escape of asbestos fibers?
• How will worker exposure to asbestos be monitored?
• How will asbestos waste be properly contained and disposed of?
• Damage and deterioration will increase the friability of asbestos-containing materials. Water damage, continual vibration, aging, and physical impact such as drilling, grinding, buffing, cutting, sawing, or striking can break the materials down making fiber release more likely.

Administrative controls- Changing work practices and work policies, awareness tools, and training can limit the risk of asbestos exposure. Some questions to consider:

• Have you developed a written exposure control plan for asbestos?
• How can warning signs be effectively posted to warn unprotected workers?
• Where can written safe work procedures be posted?
• How will you train workers regarding the hazards of asbestos and how to protect themselves?

 Personal protective equipment- This is the least effective control. It must always be used in addition to at least one other control. Personal protective equipment must always be used when working with asbestos. Some questions to consider:

• Do workers have the required personal protective equipment, including respirators and protective clothing?
• Have respirators been checked and fit tested to make sure they will work properly?