Asbestos Register
Asbestos Inspection, Sampling and AnalysisAre you the owner or the operator of a building constructed before May 20, 1999?
Are the materials inside the building contaminated with asbestos?
Sedexlab provides services to establish an asbestos management register, a digital document that meets the new regulatory requirements governed by the CNESST and which constitutes an effective management tool for asbestos-containing materials.
OUR TURNAROUND TIMES
Appointment : 4-5 business days (emergency appointments available)
Register and final report : 1-2 weeks
You Obtain
- Identification of heat insulating materials, flocking and covering materials
- The materials identified are presumed asbestos-containing.
- Room by room and/or sector by sector inspection
- Entry of “field” data (thermal insulation, flocking and interior materials) in an Excel format register meeting regulations requirements
- Photos of flocking, heat insulating materials and covering materials in loss of integrity
- Recommendations for the management of materials containing asbestos.
Contact us for a quote that reflects the unique characteristics of your building.
OUR TURNAROUND TIMES
Appointment : 4-5 business days (emergency appointments available)
Register and final report : 2-3 weeks
You Obtain
- Identification of flocking, heat insulating materials and covering materials
- Sampling and analysis of flocking, heat insulating materials and covering materials
- Room by room and/or sector by sector inspection
- Estimation of the quantity of materials with loss of integrity
- Entry of “field” data (thermal insulation, flocking and interior coatings) in an Excel format register meeting regulations requirements
- Photos of flocking, heat insulating materials and covering materials in loss of integrity
- General site layout with sample locations
- Recommendations for the management of materials containing asbestos.
Contact us for a quote that reflects the unique characteristics of your building.
What is the Asbestos Register ?
In Quebec, since June 6, 2013, the CNESST has required employers and any owner of a building housing workers:
- To carry out a systematic inspection of its buildings in order to identify the presence of heat insulating materials * and flocking. **
- If they are present, that a preventive asbestos management register be maintained in order to identify, locate and verify materials that contain or are likely to contain asbestos.
- That the register must document all analyzes and all work or interventions carried out on any material containing asbestos, including those that are not heat insulating and flocking.
- That a follow-up inspection be performed every two years to document the continued condition of materials containing asbestos.
- That the register be kept up to date and made available to all workers and representatives working in the buildings.
*Heat insulating materials are materials which cover a facility or equipment to prevent loss of heat. Those present in a building constructed before May 20, 1999, are presumed to contain asbestos.
** Flocking is a mixture of friable materials applied by spraying, in order to cover a given surface. Those present in a building constructed before February 15, 1990 are presumed to contain asbestos.
Our Work Process
- identification and location of materials likely to contain asbestos (MLCA)
- Delimitation of areas where the materials are of the same composition (ZPSO in French), i.e., areas presenting similarities of works.
- Development of a sampling strategy according to the determined ZPSOs and / or according to customer requirements
- Review of existing data including general information, building plans and existing reports
The visual inspection of the building is a critical part of the survey. It is therefore recommended that Sedexlab be entrusted to conduct the inspection in order to ensure the proper identification of materials likely to contain asbestos.
- Collection and identification of samples removed from suspect materials
- Sampling locations will be plotted on a general site layout
- Clean and safe restoration of the premises
Certain precautions should be taken when sampling materials likely to contain asbestos. It is therefore preferable that the samples be taken by qualified technicians in order to guarantee their origin and to avoid contaminating the surrounding environment.
Sampling methods
The sampling methods are based on the recommendations of the CNESST technical guide (in French) and the concept of areas with similarities of work (ZPSO in French). A ZPSO is an area of the building whose physical limits are defined by the identical materials that compose it. The materials of a ZPSO are defined by their uniformity in texture, appearance and composition as well as their similarities in method and time of installation or fabrication. The Guide defines the number of samples to be taken in a ZPSO in order to reveal, with a better probability rate, the presence or absence of asbestos in materials and products likely to contain it.
Table – Recommended number of samples according to the types of materials likely to contain asbestos (MLCA)
| MLCA | NUMBER OF SAMPLES PER ZPSO |
|---|---|
| Materials Mixed on Site
(Ex: plaster, stucco) |
9 (at most) |
| Flocking | 2 (1 at each end) |
| Heat Insulating Materials | |
| Straight Section : | 3/system |
| Irregular Section : | 1/system |
| Junction/valve: | 1 |
| Manufactured Materials
(Ex.: Tiles) |
1 |
- The samples are entrusted to a certified independent laboratory accredited by the IRSST and participating in an inter-laboratory quality control program.
- Identification of the type of asbestos and evaluation of the concentration compliant to IRSST method 244-3 and ELAP 198.4 analytical procedure (floor tiles).
- Any material with an asbestos concentration of at least 0.1% is considered as an asbestos containing material (L.R.Q., c. S 2.1, r.4, art. 1.1.12)
- Sedexlab submits the samples to the laboratory using a procedure in which the sequence of analyzes ends with the first positive result. The remaining samples are therefore not analyzed and are presumed to contain a similar amount of asbestos.
- identification and location of materials likely to contain asbestos (MLCA)
- Delimitation of areas where the materials are of the same composition (ZPSO in French), i.e., areas presenting similarities of works.
- Development of a sampling strategy according to the determined ZPSOs and / or according to customer requirements
- Review of existing data including general information, building plans and existing reports
The visual inspection of the building is a critical part of the survey. It is therefore recommended that Sedexlab be entrusted to conduct the inspection in order to ensure the proper identification of materials likely to contain asbestos.
- Collection and identification of samples removed from suspect materials
- Sampling locations will be plotted on a general site layout
- Clean and safe restoration of the premises
Certain precautions should be taken when sampling materials likely to contain asbestos. It is therefore preferable that the samples be taken by qualified technicians in order to guarantee their origin and to avoid contaminating the surrounding environment.
Sampling methods
The sampling methods are based on the recommendations of the CNESST technical guide (in French) and the concept of areas with similarities of work (ZPSO in French). A ZPSO is an area of the building whose physical limits are defined by the identical materials that compose it. The materials of a ZPSO are defined by their uniformity in texture, appearance and composition as well as their similarities in method and time of installation or fabrication. The Guide defines the number of samples to be taken in a ZPSO in order to reveal, with a better probability rate, the presence or absence of asbestos in materials and products likely to contain it.
Table – Recommended number of samples according to the types of materials likely to contain asbestos (MLCA)
| MLCA | NUMBER OF SAMPLES PER ZPSO |
|---|---|
| Materials Mixed on Site
(Ex: plaster, stucco) |
9 (at most) |
| Flocking | 2 (1 at each end) |
| Heat Insulating Materials | |
| Straight Section : | 3/system |
| Irregular Section : | 1/system |
| Junction/valve: | 1 |
| Manufactured Materials
(Ex.: Tiles) |
1 |
- The samples are entrusted to a certified independent laboratory accredited by the IRSST and participating in an inter-laboratory quality control program.
- Identification of the type of asbestos and evaluation of the concentration compliant to IRSST method 244-3 and ELAP 198.4 analytical procedure (floor tiles).
- Any material with an asbestos concentration of at least 0.1% is considered as an asbestos containing material (L.R.Q., c. S 2.1, r.4, art. 1.1.12)
- Sedexlab submits the samples to the laboratory using a procedure in which the sequence of analyzes ends with the first positive result. The remaining samples are therefore not analyzed and are presumed to contain a similar amount of asbestos.
Our Approach
- Aims to establish reasonable expectations between the parties involved
- Offers financially realistic solutions
- Expert reports written in layperson’s terms
- Clear and well laid out conclusions and recommendations
- High priority on cleanliness, safety and courtesy at our clients’ premises
- Impartiality, integrity and professionalism in all aspects of our work
FAQ
Materials and products likely to contain asbestos are those which have incorporated asbestos into their composition during periods of their manufacture.
The CNESST’s guide for the safe management of asbestos states that:
- Gypsum board and joint compounds manufactured after January 1, 1980 are considered exempt of asbestos. However, a buffer period of an additional 2 years is added to allow for possible storage time before using these materials.
- Heat Insulating Materials present in a building or civil engineering work constructed before May 20, 1999 are presumed to contain asbestos.
- Flocking (friable materials applied by spraying to cover a surface) present in a building or civil engineering work constructed before February 15, 1990 is presumed to contain asbestos.
- All other coatings and materials that are likely to contain asbestos, regardless of their year of construction, are presumed asbestos-containing materials.
Here is a non-comprehensive list of materials that may contain asbestos:
- Floor coverings, such as vinyl and linoleum tiles
- Decorative finishes (stucco, popcorn ceilings)
- Plaster and cements on walls and ceilings
- Ceiling tiles / suspended ceiling panels
- Drywall
- Joint compounds
- Insulation materials (vermiculite)
- Heat insulating materials on mechanical (piping) and ventilation (ducts) elements
- Flocking / fire proofing
The human health effects of prolonged and unsafe asbestos exposure are well documented. Asbestos fibers are easily inhaled and transported to the lower part of the lungs, where they can cause pulmonary fibrosis (asbestosis) as well as changes in the lining of the chest cavity (pleura). These diseases can lead to reduced respiratory function and even death. Long-term inhalation of asbestos fibers also increases the risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma. The people who are most likely to have asbestos-related health problems are those who are exposed to high concentrations of asbestos, those who are exposed to it for prolonged periods of time and those who are exposed to asbestos more frequently.