Posts Tagged ‘asbestos risks’
Toronto School Fire Raises Asbestos Concerns
A recent six-alarm blaze in a school shocked Toronto and made headlines across the GTA recently, and it looks like the damage may not be over – with asbestos now a potential risk. Fire at York Memorial C.I. Like many schools in the Toronto District and other area school boards, York Memorial C.I. was an…
Read MoreCanada’s Asbestos Ban: Update
As our national asbestos ban in Canada takes its final shape, there are some details that have changed along the way. Recently, the federal government took the final steps to put the asbestos ban into place. Here’s a current update on the situation. The Asbestos Ban Canada was the biggest exporter of asbestos before the…
Read MoreFeds To Announce Asbestos Ban
It looks like the federal government will finally answer the growing chorus of voices who are calling on Justin Trudeau to keep his promise of enacting an asbestos ban. Even though Canada no longer exports asbestos, imports of certain construction and automotive products containing asbestos are still allowed. Bill To Ban Asbestos In Canada Along…
Read MoreAsbestos – a Modern Day Reality
The Globe and Mail reported today that the costs of dealing with asbestos related cancers like mesothelioma has soared to $1.7 billion per year – and that’s only for new work-related cases. The estimates come from the Institute for Work & Health, a research facility. The report estimates that each case costs about $818,000 –…
Read MoreCLC President Leads Call For Outright Ban on Asbestos as Imports Continue to Rise
The federal government took a step in the right direction recently with the announcement of a ban on the use of asbestos in federal construction projects. However, in context that measure seems like a drop in the bucket when you take into consideration the fact that overall asbestos imports into this country continue to rise.…
Read MoreAsbestos Abatement Firm & Supervisor Fined for Workers’ Asbestos Exposure
An asbestos removal firm in eastern Ontario and its supervisor were given fines amounting to just under $30K recently for exposing workers to asbestos. Court heard how workers were exposed to asbestos dust on a job site. The supervisor in question pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to ensure that his workers were using…
Read MoreCity of Toronto Deals with Nearly 200 Asbestos Cases in Five Years
A recent report on CTV News revealed that dealing with asbestos in public buildings has cost the city of Toronto more than $1 million a year for the last five years – accounting for nearly 200 cases in that time period. Asbestos was once widely used in residential, institutional and institutional construction for much of…
Read MoreAging Infrastructure: Asbestos in Water Pipes
You’ve heard about asbestos in the air – what about asbestos fibres in the water? Just as the physical properties of asbestos – it is fire resistant, corrosion resistant and nearly indestructible – made it seem like the ideal construction material for both residential and industrial buildings; those same longwearing qualities made it seem like…
Read MoreOntario Developer Fined $125K in Asbestos Case
A Western Ontario property developer was fined $125,000 – including a $25,000 victim fine – for failing to properly dispose of asbestos at the former Grace Hospital in Windsor, Ontario. In fact, the developer submitted a consultant report on the site in 2011 prior to demolition. The report claimed the site was abestos-free but the…
Read MoreAsbestos Containing Materials – In New Buildings
As a recent article in the Globe and Mail points out, while the Canadian asbestos industry itself slid out of commission last year, Canada has not yet joined the 50+ countries of the world that have banned asbestos all together. Specifically, the article details how asbestos containing materials are still used in pipes that are…
Read More