Asbestos, in your buildings
Did you know that the deadline to comply with the regulation and application on the safe management of asbestos in buildings was June 6, 2015?
Tenant or owner of the building, it concerns you too.
Asbestos has been used in more than 2,500 building products.
Very popular between the 1950s and 1980s because of its many characteristics, asbestos has been used in more than 2,500 building products over the last century. Indeed, it is an incombustible and nonflammable material. It is also an excellent thermal, electrical and acoustic insulator while being very durable.
These fibrous rocks are found mainly in homes and commercial buildings that were built or renovated during this period. However, it is important to take into consideration that with its insulating properties, it can be found in appliances such as refrigerators, industrial ovens, water heaters and in steam and hot water pipes
Quebec regulations mention that it is presumed that all MSCA (materials likely to contain asbestos) contain it and this, until irrefutable proof to the contrary.
If these materials or products are worked (cut, demolished, sandblasted, etc.) or have deteriorated over time and are now in poor condition, asbestos fibers can come off and cause harm to anyone who breathes.
There are two products to watch especially:
Flocking
It is a mixture of friable materials that is then applied by projection. This mixture was often used as a thermal insulator.
Heat insulation material
It is an insulating material that covers either equipment or installation to stop a loss of heat. It is found around many pipes.
Also…
Plasterers added asbestos “chrysotile” or vermiculite powder (which may also contain asbestos) to improve the properties of the plaster: better application, fewer cracks and faster cure time. It can, therefore, be assumed that the walls, partitions, and ceilings of buildings before 1980 may have been contaminated.
We suggest you refer to the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety to learn more about asbestos.
For all these reasons, it is essential to have asbestos tests carried out on materials such as:
Plaster on wooden slats
• Drywalls of gypsum
• Joint and stucco compounds
• Deco ceiling moldings
• plaster on wire mesh
• Textured plaster-textured walls
• Coatings and textured paints
• Shingles and roofing tar
• Caulking of doors and windows
• Linoleum and vinyl floor tiles
• Suspended ceiling tiles
• Flexible ventilation seals
• Electrical wiring
• Water heaters and pipes
• Ventilation ducts
• Water and sewer pipes
• Thermal insulation panels
• Insulation, hot water pipe
• Ovens, incinerators and chimneys
• Asbestos cement wall panels
• insulation of refrigerating appliances
• Insulation, steam ducts
• Flocking, insulation projection
• Boilers and tanks
• Asbestos-based fabrics;
It is never too late…
to proceed with the inspection of a building to determine the composition materials likely to contain asbestos or vermiculite. These analyzes are important to prevent the dispersion of asbestos fibers in the air before carrying out renovation or demolition work, among other things, since any manipulation or deterioration of an asbestos-based product may cause the asbestos detachment and dispersal of fibers, and generate a high concentration of their presence in the air. There is no fear when they are integrated or sealed in a product such as a wall covering or a floor covering since they are not found in the air.