Asbestos Regulations and You

There are more and more stories in the news about shady asbestos removal companies and the messes they leave behind. It’s not just in the GTA, but all over the continent. As asbestos regulations tighten, it seems like the unscrupulous characters are looking to wiggle out of taking the right precautions.

At GreenStream Environmental Services, we know how important it is to take the right precautions. It protects not just our employees, but our clients, and even their neighbours.

But, as a home or property owner, do you know the law? What happens if you have asbestos removal work done in a property you occupy as a tenant?

The Regulations

• The Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), Regulation 278/05 covers asbestos regulation on construction projects and in building and repair operations.
• The Regulation applies to every project, the owner of the building, and/or his agent, including contractors or subcontractors hired to do work on the premises.
• Important: the term “owner” in the Act does include tenants. Under some circumstances, the tenant of a building may be considered to be either the owner or occupier. If, as a tenant, you have been notified that there is asbestos or ACM (asbestos containing materials) in the premises that you occupy, then it becomes your responsibility to notify anyone working on your premises of the hazard.

Your responsibilities include:

• Taking “every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker.”
• Preparing a list of any hazardous substances, including asbestos, and their location, and make it available to the contractor or other person doing the work for hire.

This includes repairs, renovations, maintenance, demolotion, or other similar work.

• Owners of buildings with known asbestos or ACM are required to have an asbestos management program in place, even if there is no work being done.

Find out more at:

• A Guide to the Regulation Respecting Asbestos on Construction Projects and in Buildings and Repair Operations

We Can Help
If your home contains asbestos or ACM, we can help. You can trust the experienced asbestos removal experts and asbestos remediation experts at Green Stream Environmental to take care of your environmental issues. In the Toronto area contact Environmental at (416) 818-9414. Contact us for a quote today.

Featured in Mike Holmes’ magazine, HGTV’s Income Properties, W Network’s Love It Or List It and chosen by Homestars.com as “Best Toronto Asbestos Removal Company” based on customer ratings and reviews, GreenStream Environmental Services are fully-certified, trusted and insured professionals in the removal and disposal of commercial, industrial, institutional and residential asbestos, vermiculite and mould (hazardous and non-hazardous). Providing emergency service 24/7/365 for all of Toronto and the GTA (North York, Mississauga, Markham, Brampton, Scarborough, Ajax, Oshawa, and beyond) GreenStream has over 40 combined years of experience serving clients such as the City of Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and many more. For a free estimate in Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario, call today at 416-818-9414. You’ll be glad you did.