Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring silicate minerals made up of thin, microscopic fibers. Asbestos was widely used in building materials and household products throughout Canada between approximately 1930 and 1980. It’s use was curtailed around the mid-1970s after it was identified that exposure to asbestos, particularly amount workers in industries settings, was resulting in lung cancers. In Canada, asbestos was banned incrementally, based on specific uses or applications. As a result, It is not uncommon to find asbestos-containing materials in buildings constructed or renovated in the 1980s.

 

In Ontario, control of exposure to asbestos is governed by Regulation 278/05 – Designated Substance – Asbestos on Construction Projects and in Buildings and Repair Operations. The regulation applies to the owner of a construction project (excluding owners of certain private residences), and every constructor, employer and worker engaged in or on the project. The regulation classifies asbestos work operations into three types (Type 1, 2 and 3) and specifies procedures to be followed during abatement work.

 

O.Reg. 278/05 also requires that the demolition of all or part of a building shall be carried out or continued only when any asbestos-containing material that may be disturbed during the work has been removed to the extent practicable.