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Asbestos Abatement Procedures

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The Asbestos Abatement Regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act provide the legislative rules and requirements for the safe handling of asbestos-containing materials in workplaces in Newfoundland and Labrador.

This legislation applies to: [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 4(1)]

  • Every workplace covered under OHS legislation where asbestos or asbestos-containing materials are likely to be handled, dealt with, disturbed, or removed. This requirement includes everyone engaged in or on the project;
  • The repair, alteration, or maintenance of a building containing asbestos. This requirement includes the owner and everyone engaged in the activities;
  • Every building in which a material that contains asbestos has been used and to the owner of it;
  • The demolition, repair, alteration, or maintenance of machinery, equipment, aircraft, ships, locomotives, railway cars, and vehicles containing asbestos and to everyone engaged in these activities; and
  • Other operations involving a risk of exposure to asbestos dust or fibres.

Employer, Owner, and Contractor Responsibilities

Work procedures

Employers, contractors and owners engaged in asbestos abatement must:

Before starting work that may cause the release of asbestos fibres, employers, contractors, and owners must:

Following asbestos abatement and during cleanup, employers, contractors and owners must:

  • Pass equipment through the decontamination route before removal. Wet and clean until no visible contamination is present. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 19(6)]
  • Treat all materials used to construct the enclosure (e.g., polyethylene sheeting, etc.), contaminated disposable PPE, and similar contaminated materials as asbestos waste. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 20(3)]
  • Make sure showers are removed last, and are dismantled in order, when dismantling the work area. Showers must be available to workers until the removal and cleanup is complete. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 20(4)]
  • Wet and clean the area as many times as necessary after gross cleanup and disposable to make sure airborne asbestos fibre levels are safe for occupancy by persons not protected by protective clothing and respiratory protection. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 20(5)]

Air monitoring

Employers, contractors and owners must demonstrate, through air monitoring, that engineering controls and respirators are adequate during asbestos abatement and that work areas are thoroughly cleaned after it has been abated.

A qualified person (for asbestos air monitoring) must conduct air monitoring using an approved method (e.g., membrane filter collection method with analysis by phase-contract microscopy).

Employers must maintain a worker’s exposure to airborne asbestos to the lowest practical level and not exceed the current threshold limit values issued by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 5(5)] [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 22(1)] [OHS Regs., s. 42(7)(a)] [OHS Regs., s. 48(1)]

Personal protective equipment, personal hygiene and decontamination

Employers, contractors and owners must:

  • Comply with the work practices and hygiene practices of the Asbestos Abatement Regulations. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 22(3)]
  • Make sure respirators are selected, inspected, maintained, and used in accordance with CSA Standard Z94.4, Selection, care, and use of respirators.
    • Provide workers who remove asbestos-containing products from a machine, building, or structure a positive pressure air-purifying respirator or supplied-air respirator with a full-facepiece appropriate to the level of exposure. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 16]
    • Provide a worker who performs operations with negligible exposure to asbestos fibres with a negative pressure air-purifying half-facepiece respirator. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 22(3)]
  • Provide and pay for appropriate work clothing where a workers’ clothing may become contaminated with asbestos, such as disposable clothing or other clothing acceptable to OHS Division. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 17(1) and (4)]
    • Disposable clothing contaminated with asbestos must not be removed from the work area, but instead must be discard as asbestos waste. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 17(3)]
    • Where reusable clothing is used, provide an acceptable cleaning and sanitizing program approved by OHS Division and make sure that handling and cleaning is either performed in a controlled environment to prevent the release of asbestos dust, or using special protective clothing. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 17(4) and (5)]
  • Provide all persons present during cleanup with protective clothing and respiratory protection. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 20(1)]
  • Be responsible for cleaning, maintaining, and storing work clothing, special protective clothing, and personal protective equipment. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 17(6)]
  • Provide facilities for workers to wash, and shower or bath when exposed to asbestos. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 18(1)]
  • Make sure that all persons leaving the work area after starting the removal of asbestos go through the decontamination area, except in the case of serious injury requiring medical aid. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 19(1) and (5)]

Encapsulants

When it is practical to allow an asbestos-containing product to remain within a workplace, use an encapsulant to prevent asbestos fibres from entering the air. Encapsulants must not be applied to a visibly deteriorated or insufficiently strong friable material that contains asbestos. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 5(3)] [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 14(1)]

When using an encapsulant, employers, contractors and owners must:

  • Develop a maintenance program that includes: [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 14(2)]
    • Labels to identify asbestos-containing material;
    • Training workers on the location of the material along with special precautions and procedures required during maintenance; and
    • Inspection procedures and schedules to assess the risk of fibre release.
  • Make sure that the workers use airless spray equipment to apply the encapsulant, penetrate, or bridging, over the surface of the asbestos-containing material. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 14(3)]
  • Use the enclosure method applicable to the type of work activity. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 14(4)]
  • Make every effort to not disturb the asbestos-containing material while constructing and using the enclosure. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 14(4)]
  • Perform periodic visual inspections and air monitoring based on the type of work activity being performed. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 14(5)]

Transport and disposal of waste

During the transport and disposal of asbestos-containing waste, the employer, contractor or owner must acquire a disposal permit from the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Conduct disposal in compliance with this Department’s requirements. They must also take appropriate measures to prevent general environment pollution through the release of asbestos dust. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 21]

Type I Asbestos Abatement

The following work activities require Type I asbestos abatement:

  • Installing or removing non-friable asbestos-containing materials without breaking.
  • Using non-powered hand tools to disturb, cut or abrade non-friable asbestos-containing materials when wet.
  • Removing 1.5 square metres (16 square feet) or less of asbestos-containing ceiling tiles if they are not broken or cut.
  • Removing 0.93 square metres (10 square feet) or less of drywall with asbestos-containing joint compound.

Work procedures

Employers, contractors and owners must: [Guidance on low risk abatement]
  • Not permit dry removal of asbestos-containing material.
  • Erect warning signs and barricades near the perimeter of the work area.
  • Use polyethylene drop sheets.
  • Encapsulate exposed surfaces upon completion for removal and cleanup.
  • Wet asbestos-containing materials.
  • Use Type II abatement procedures if materials cannot be adequately wetted.
On exiting an asbestos work area, workers must: [Guidance on low risk abatement]
  • HEPA vacuum any dust and debris off clothing and drop sheets before removing them from the work area.
  • Wet wipe PPE, tools and equipment before removing them from the work area.

Air monitoring

Air monitoring must include: [Guidance on low risk abatement]

  • Initial sampling to confirm airborne levels.
  • Periodic sampling completed over each 12 month period to validate the exposure predicted by the initial sampling.
  • Visual inspection after abatement and cleanup activities are complete. Maintain written documentation of the visual inspection, including details of the controls and PPE used, and conditions at the time of the inspection.

Personal protective equipment

Workers must wear PPE that includes: [Guidance on low risk abatement]

  • Respiratory protection selected using a risk assessment and that meets or exceeds the protection factor provided by a half-face respirator equipped with P100 filters.
  • Disposable clothing consisting of full body coveralls.
  • Appropriate footwear.
  • Gloves.
  • Other PPE appropriate to other hazards at the work site.

Type II asbestos abatement

The following work activities require Type II asbestos abatement:

  • Using hand tools to cut, drill or abrade dry non-friable materials.
  • Using power tools equipped with HEPA filtration. If power tools are not equipped with a HEPA filter work must proceed to Type III abatement procedures.
  • Removing ceiling tiles which may contain friable asbestos-containing material on the surface.
  • Removing less than 0.09 square metres (one square foot) friable materials.
  • Removal using a glove bag.
  • Dry buffing and stripping asbestos-containing floor tiles.
  • Renovating or demolishing drywall joint compound, stucco, mortar or plaster.
  • Repairing or enclosing friable asbestos-containing materials.
  • Removing more than 0.93 square metres (10 square feet) and less than 9.29 square metres (100 square feet) of asbestos-containing ceiling tiles.
  • Containments less than 9.29 square metres (100 square feet) for all abatement other than asbestos-containing floor tiles.

Work procedures

Employers, contractors and owners must: [Guidance on low risk abatement]

  • Contain the area by sealing openings and doors, using a mini enclosure or glove bag(s), or using power tools equipped with HEPA filtration. Select the appropriate containment method during a risk assessment conducted by a competent individual.
  • Erect warning signs and barricades near the perimeter of the work area or on or near the entrance to a mini enclosure.
  • Use polyethylene drop sheets.
  • Provide ventilation that creates at least -0.02 inches of water (5 pascals) of negative pressure inside a mini enclosure or glove bag for the entire removal process.
  • Encapsulate exposed surfaces upon completion for removal and cleanup.
  • Wet asbestos-containing materials.
  • Use Type III abatement procedures if airborne asbestos concentrations exceed ACGIH threshold limit values.
  • Provides a separate decontamination room constructed at the entrance to the work area. [Guidance on low risk abatement]

Air monitoring

Air monitoring must include: [Guidance on low risk abatement]

  • Clearance air sampling.
  • An evaluation of the need for personal and perimeter samples based on a risk assessment that considers the size and duration of the project.
  • Visual inspection after abatement and cleanup activities are complete. Maintain written documentation of the visual inspection, including details of the controls and PPE used, and conditions at the time of the inspection.

Personal protective equipment

Workers must wear PPE that includes: [Guidance on low risk abatement]

  • Respiratory protection selected based upon a risk assessment that meets or exceeds the protection factor provided by a half-face respirator equipped with P100 filters.
  • Disposable clothing consisting of full body coveralls.
  • Appropriate footwear.
  • Gloves.
  • Other PPE appropriate to other hazards at the work site.

Type III asbestos abatement

The following work activities require Type III asbestos abatement:

  • Using hand tools to cut, drill or abrade dry friable materials.
  • Using power tools not equipped with a HEPA filter.
  • Removing 0.09 square metres (one square foot) or more friable materials.
  • Removing more than 9.29 square metres (100 square feet) of asbestos-containing ceiling tiles.
  • Work areas more than 9.29 square metres (100 square feet) with the exception of asbestos-containing floor tiles.

Work procedures

Employers, contractors and owners must:

Air monitoring

Air monitoring must include: [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 15] [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 20(2)]

Personal protective equipment, personal hygiene and decontamination

Workers must wear PPE that includes:

Make sure that workers:

Related Topics

Asbestos Abatement

The act or process of reducing or otherwise removing asbestos.

Asbestos-containing material

A material containing greater than one percent asbestos by dry weight or volume. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 3(f)]

Everyone

Everyone includes the project owner, contractor, employer and worker.

owner

A trustee, receiver, tenant or occupier, or a person for whose direct benefit on completion work is being done. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 3(k)]

Exposure to asbestos

Exposure at work to airborne respirable asbestos fibres or asbestos dust, whether originating from asbestos minerals, materials or products. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 3(g)]

Polyethylene sheeting

Polyethylene sheeting must be no less than six millimetres in thickness. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 3(l)]. It must also have a suitable flame spread rating according to section 2.3 of the National Fire Code, if applicable.

Decontamination area

A specialized area located near the immediate entrance to the work area which all persons entering and exiting the enclosure must pass through. It includes facilities for personnel to wash and store contaminated clothing and PPE.

ACGIH (American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists)

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) is a scientific organization that develops occupational exposure limits for chemical and physical hazards. These limits can be found in their TLVs® and BEIs® book.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, acceptable occupational exposure limits are established by the ACGIH.

Disposable clothing

Disposable clothing consists of full body coveralls complete with hood, appropriate footwear and disposable gloves; and
a NIOSH-approved respirator.

Encapsulant

A protective material that surrounds or embeds asbestos fibers in an adhesive matrix to prevent the release of fibres into the air.

Amended water

Water to which a wetting agent has been added in accordance with manufacturer's specifications. [Asbestos Abatement Regs., s. 3(b)]

Approved asbestos disposal bag

Six millimetres or thicker polyethylene bags containing asbestos warning labels. Bags should be yellow but, in all cases, must be prominently and appropriately labelled and identify they contain asbestos fibres or asbestos waste. Asbestos waste must be double-bagged.

Area air sampling

Measurements collected outside and adjacent to the enclosure to detect leakage. Also known as perimeter air sampling.

Personal air sampling

Measurements collected inside the enclosure on workers to assess their exposure and adequacy of respiratory protection.

Clearance air sampling

Measurements taken inside the enclosure after abatement has finished, but before removing the enclosure, to make sure that it is safe to remove the enclosure.

Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012
N.L.R. 5/12

Part VI OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

Section 42 Hazardous substances

42. (1) An employer shall monitor the use or presence of substances at the workplace that may be hazardous to the health and safety of workers.

(2) In accordance with subsection (1), an employer shall implement a chemical and biological control program commensurate with the associated risks.

(3) In accordance with subsection (1), an employer shall eliminate hazardous substances from the workplace and where this is not practicable substitute a less hazardous substance.

(4) Where hazardous substances exist, an employer shall employ engineering and administrative controls to ensure their safe use.

(5) An employer shall ensure that a substance produced, used or handled at a workplace which by reason of toxicity, flammability or reactivity creates a risk to the health or safety of workers is controlled in accordance with the Safety Data Sheet or manufacturer's specifications.

(6) Where the minister determines that the use or presence of a hazardous substance at a place of employment may be injurious to the health of workers, the minister may inquire into the substance and may prohibit, restrict or modify the use of the substance until a time that an employer establishes to the minister that its use or presence is not injurious to the health of workers.

(7) An employer shall ensure that

(a) atmospheric contamination of the workplace by hazardous substances is kept as low as is reasonably practicable;

(b) a worker is informed of the nature and degree of health effects of the hazardous substances to which the worker is exposed;

(c) exposure of a worker to hazardous substances is as minimal as is reasonably practicable, and where a threshold limit value has been established by the ACGIH, exposure shall not exceed the threshold limit value;

(d) except as otherwise determined by the division, a worker is not exposed to a substance that exceeds the ceiling limit, short-term exposure limit or 8-hour TWA (time weighted average) limit prescribed by ACGIH; and

(e) where a substance referred to in paragraph (d) has an 8-hour TWA limit, a worker's exposure to the substance does not exceed

(i) 3 times the 8-hour TWA limit for more than a total of 30 minutes during the work period, and

(ii) 5 times the 8-hour TWA limit.

(8) Where extended work periods exist where the work period is more than 8 hours in a 24 hour day, the 8 hour exposure shall be adjusted accordingly as outlined in the ACGIH "Threshold Limit Values (TLVs)" Manual.

(9) Adjustment of TLVs, as required, shall be done in consultation with the occupational health and safety committee, the worker health and safety representative or the workplace health and safety designate, as appropriate.

(10) Where a worker is exposed to a substance which is designated as a reproductive toxin or a sensitizer, an employer shall develop policy and procedures appropriate to the risk, which may include protective reassignment.

(11) Where workers may be exposed to contact with chemicals harmful to the skin, facilities shall be available for the worker to effectively cleanse the contaminated body areas, including, where corrosive chemicals are involved, emergency water baths, showers, jump tanks, eyewash facilities or other effective means of treatment.

(12) The policy and procedures required by subsection (10) shall include

(a) informing workers about the reproductive toxin and identifying ways to minimize exposure to the toxin for a worker who has advised the employer of pregnancy or intent to conceive a child; and

(b) identifying ways to eliminate exposure to a sensitizer for a worker who is or may become sensitized to that substance.

(13) Solvents, oils, greases, paints or other flammable substances shall be cleaned up by using an approved non-combustible grease and oil absorbent which shall be placed in covered metal containers before disposal.

(14) Containers referred to in subsection (13) shall not be stored in work areas.

[S.N.L. 2019, c. 8, s. 20]

Section 48 Asbestos

48. (1) When work or manufacturing processes cause or are likely to cause workers to be exposed to asbestos, or dusts containing asbestos, means shall be provided to control asbestos dust from exceeding the threshold limit value established by the ACGIH or lower where practically attainable.

(2) Dust arising from the cutting and shaping of block and pipe insulation materials, whether by power saws or hand saws, shall be controlled by adequate local exhaust ventilation with the discharged air passed through an effective filter.

(3) Where mortar containing asbestos is mixed, dust concentrations shall be controlled by adequate local exhaust ventilation with discharged air passed through an effective filter or other effective means.

(4) Where work is being done with asbestos containing materials, dust concentrations shall be controlled through adequate local exhaust ventilation with discharged air passed through an effective filter or other effective means.

Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 1998
N.L.R. 111/98

Section 3 Definitions

3. In these regulations

(a) "Act" means the Occupational Health and Safety Act;

(b) "amended water" means water to which a wetting agent has been added in accordance with manufacturers specifications;

(c) "asbestos" means any of the following fibrous silicates: actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, chrysotile, crocidolite or tremolite;

(d) "asbestos abatement training course" means a course of training with content equivalent to that outlined in Schedule A and provided by a training organization acceptable to the assistant deputy minister;

(e) "asbestos dust" means airborne particles of asbestos or settled particles of asbestos which are liable to become airborne in the working environment;

(f) "asbestos material" means material containing greater than 1% asbestos by dry weight;

(g) "exposure to asbestos" means exposure at work to airborne respirable asbestos fibres or asbestos dust, whether originating from asbestos minerals, materials or products;

(h) "fibre/cm3" means fibres per cubic centimetre;

(i) "friable material" means material that when dry can be crumbled, pulverized or powdered by hand pressure and includes the material that is crumbled, pulverized or powdered;

(j) "HEPA filters" means a high efficiency particulate aerosol filter that is at least 99.97% efficient in collecting a 0.3 micrometre aerosol;

(k) "owner" means a trustee, receiver, tenant or occupier or a person for whose direct benefit on completion work is being done;

(l) "polyethylene sheeting" shall be considered to be no less than 6 millimetre thickness;

(m) "qualified contractor" means principal contractor as defined in the Act and for purposes of these regulations has one or more persons on staff qualified in asbestos abatement;

(n) "qualified person" means a person who has successfully completed a course in asbestos abatement acceptable to the assistant deputy minister according to Schedule A;

(o) "respirable asbestos fibres" means asbestos fibres having a diameter of less than 3 um and a length-to-diameter ratio greater than 3:1 and only fibres of a length greater than 5 um shall be taken into account for purposes of measurement; and

(p) "um" means micrometre.

Section 4 Application

4. (1) These regulations apply to

(a) every workplace covered under occupational health and safety legislation where asbestos or material containing asbestos is likely to be handled, dealt with, disturbed or removed and including every project, project owner, contractor, employer and employee engaged in or on the project;

(b) the repair, alteration or maintenance of a building containing asbestos and to the owner of it, and to every employer and employee engaged in the repair, alteration or maintenance;

(c) every building in which material that contains asbestos has been used and to the owner of it;

(d) the demolition, repair, alteration or maintenance of machinery, equipment, aircraft, ships, locomotives, railway cars and vehicles containing asbestos and to every employer and employee engaged in the demolition, repair, alteration or maintenance;

(e) manufacture of materials or products containing asbestos; and

(f) other operations involving a risk of exposure to airborne asbestos fibres.

(2) An owner or contractor to whom these regulations apply shall take every reasonable precaution to ensure that every worker who is not an employee of the owner or contractor and who works in the workplace of the owner or contractor is protected and every worker shall comply with the requirements of these regulations.

Section 5 Prohibition and threshold limit values (TLVs)

5. (1) A person shall not apply or install by spraying, or cause to be applied or installed by spraying, asbestos material.

(2) The use of crocidolite and a product containing this material is prohibited.

(3) An encapsulant shall not be applied to friable material that contains asbestos if the friable material has visibly deteriorated or if there is insufficient strength and adhesion of the friable material to its underlying materials and surfaces to support the weight of the encapsulant and the friable materials.

(4) The owner or contractor shall ensure that where it is practical and feasible to substitute materials less hazardous than asbestos, those materials be used.

(5) The owner or contractor shall maintain concentrations of airborne asbestos fibres to as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA) but in any case shall not exceed the threshold limit values as contained in the current edition of the Threshold Limit Values published by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).

Section 12 Preparation of work area

12. (1) The owner or contractor shall ensure that isolation of the worksite heating and ventilation system is carried out first to prevent contamination and fibre dispersal to other areas of the structure during stripping.

(2) The systems referred to in subsection (1) shall be switched off, openings into the work area shall be sealed off with polyethylene sheeting.

(3) The owner or contractor shall prepare the work area by removing all moveable equipment and miscellaneous items.

(4) Floors, walls and any remaining furniture shall be sealed with a double shroud of polyethylene sheeting and any damage to the polyethylene draping that occurs as the work proceeds shall be repaired immediately.

(5) The owner or contractor shall then isolate the removal area in order to restrict access.

(6) Except in very unusual circumstances, there shall be only one route between the decontamination area and the immediate work area.

(7) An "air lock" shall be constructed at the entrance to the immediate work area, the doors of which shall consist of layers of polyethylene with at least a one metre overlap.

(8) The sheets referred to in subsection (7) shall be weighted at the bottom to keep the flaps closed.

(9) A decontamination area shall be set up adjacent to the entrance to the actual work area consisting of an enclosed corridor, if required, leading to an enclosed shower area which shall be followed by a clean change room.

(10) The shower area shall be provided with a hot and cold water supply and an adequate supply of clean towels for each work shift.

(11) Cleaning of equipment and materials shall be performed inside the containment area.

(12) Toilet facilities shall exist in the work area to avoid decontamination for this purpose and where those facilities do not exist, the owner or contractor shall provide portable service.

(13) Electrical power connections to the permanent fixtures shall be disconnected but temporary connections may be made for illumination purposes and the operation of asbestos removal equipment.

(14) Every precaution shall be taken to avoid electrical shock utilizing ground fault protection.

(15) Ceiling mounted objects such as lights, partitions and other fixtures shall be removed immediately before the actual asbestos removal operation, which may result in contact with the ceiling resulting in potential significant exposure so the precautions required for removal, i.e. personal protective equipment for workers and onlookers, decontamination and similar, shall be observed.

(16) Light water spraying, as opposed to saturation, should be adequate to retard fibre dispersal during electrical fixture removal.

(17) Signs shall be posted in prominent locations around the outermost entrances to the work area to warn of the asbestos hazard within, and to indicate that only authorized personnel may enter.

(18) Hand painted signs shall be prohibited.

Section 13 Removal procedure

13. (1) The owner or contractor shall provide ventilation during the complete removal process to ensure that the enclosure is under adequate negative pressure, at least 5 pascals (-0.02 inches H2O).

(2) The volume of air shall be such that the air exchange rate is a minimum of 4 air changes an hour.

(3) The ventilation system shall be of a type designed for use in toxic environments and shall have properly maintained HEPA filters in place.

(4) Smoke testing shall be conducted before commencement of the work shift to ensure integrity of the enclosure and prevent fibres from being released outside of the enclosure.

(5) Asbestos containing material shall be thoroughly sprayed with amended water, led untouched for several hours and resprayed immediately before beginning removal in order to ensure that the material has been saturated.

(6) Systematic puncturing of surfaces which are coated with a water resistant material is recommended to allow water penetration.

(7) Fallen material should be wet enough that water can easily be squeezed from it by hand.

(8) Removal should proceed in small sections.

(9) After stripping, fallen material shall be scraped into piles with a rubber blade and immediately shovelled, wet, into 6 mil or thicker polyethylene bags double bagged which have been mounted into transport containers acceptable to the minister.

(10) Labelling and transport of sealed containers of stripped material, as well as disposal, must be conducted according to the minister's specifications

Section 14 Encapsulation and enclosure

14. (1) Where it is considered practical to allow asbestos containing products to remain within a workplace, the use of an encapsulant shall be used to prevent fibre release into the workplace.

(2) Where an encapsulant has been used, the owner or contractor shall develop a maintenance program that includes

(a) identification of the product with labels that identify presence of asbestos;

(b) training of workers on the product and special precautions and procedures required during maintenance; and

(c) inspection procedures and schedules to assess potential for fibre release.

(3) Encapsulants, penetrating or bridging types as appropriate, shall be applied over the surface of the asbestos containing material using airless spray equipment.

(4) Enclosure methods will vary according to the needs of each individual situation, but in all cases every effort shall be made to minimize the disturbance of asbestos containing material during the enclosure operation.

(5) Periodic visual inspections and air sampling shall be performed.

Section 15 Air monitoring of workplace

15. (1) The owner or contractor shall demonstrate through air sampling that engineering controls and respirators are adequate for the asbestos hazards encountered.

(2) Air sampling shall include

(a) sampling around control areas to detect leakage during removal; and

(b) sampling after asbestos cleanup before control areas are removed.

(3) The owner or contractor shall use an approved air sampling method which may include the membrane filter method with analysis by phase-contract microscopy.

(4) Personnel engaged in airborne fibre sampling/analysis shall have demonstrated competence through participation in an appropriate quality control program.

Section 16 Respiratory

16. (1) The owner or contractor shall ensure that respirators are provided, maintained, inspected and tested in accordance with CSA Standard Z94.4-M1982, Selection, Care and Use of Respirators, as periodically updated.

(2) The owner or contractor shall provide positive air purifying respirators or supply air respirators with full face piece to employees who remove asbestos containing products from a machine, building or structure.

(3) Where operations are such that the possibility of asbestos fibres being released into ambient air is negligible, the owner or contractor may provide a negative pressure half face piece respirator to the worker.

(4) For the purpose of subsection (3), operations with a negligible probability of fibre released to ambient air are

(a) sampling bulk material for identification; and

(b) removal of a short section of pipe insulation using glove bag procedures.

Section 17 Personal protective equipment

17. (1) Where employees' personal clothing may become contaminated with asbestos dust, the owner or contractor shall provide and pay for appropriate work clothing, which shall not be worn outside the workplace.

(2) Subsection (1) shall be satisfied through the use of disposable clothing consisting of

(a) full body coveralls complete with hood, appropriate footwear and disposable gloves; and

(b) an approved respirator.

(3) Disposable protective clothing shall not be removed from the control area and shall be discarded as asbestos waste as necessary when torn or when the shift has been completed.

(4) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the assistant deputy minister may approve in writing the use of other clothing where the owner or contractor has provided an acceptable program of cleaning and sanitizing and this program provides equivalent protection as outlined in subsection (1)

(5) The handling and cleaning of used work clothing and special protective clothing shall be carried out under controlled conditions to prevent the release of asbestos dust.

(6) The owner or contractor shall be responsible for the cleaning, maintenance and storage of work clothing, special clothing and personal protective equipment.

Section 18 Personal hygiene

18. (1) The owner or contractor shall provide facilities for employees exposed to asbestos to wash, take a bath or shower at the workplace.

(2) All employees who enter the work enclosure shall shower before leaving the enclosure.

Section 19 Decontamination

19. (1) Decontamination shall be required for all persons leaving the work area after removal has begun.

(2) Work clothes shall be removed in and left in the work area or in a storage room constructed of polyethylene sheeting between the work area and shower room.

(3) Respiratory protection, however, shall be removed only as the individual enters the shower.

(4) After thorough showering the individual may enter the change room, dress and leave the site.

(5) In the case of serious injury to a person in the work area, and in this case only, decontamination procedures may be waived in the interests of obtaining medical aid.

(6) At the end of the job, equipment shall be passed through the decontamination route and be wet cleaned so that there is no visible contamination.

Section 20 Cleanup

20. (1) Workers involved in cleanup and onlookers shall use personal protective equipment and respiratory protection.

(2) The owner or contractor shall ensure that areas are thoroughly cleaned and cleanup demonstrated by air sampling before removal of containment.

(3) All polyethylene sheeting, tape, etc. used to construct barriers and used disposal protective equipment and similar shall be sealed in 6 mil polyethylene and handled according to the minister's specification for labelling and disposing of asbestos-containing materials.

(4) The showers shall be dismantled and removed last in order that they may be used by workers engaged in the cleanup procedures.

(5) After completion of the job and gross cleanup of disposable materials, the entire area shall be wet cleaned and repeated as necessary.

Section 21 Transport and disposal

21. (1) The owner or contractor shall produce a disposal permit from the minister.

(2) Disposal of asbestos shall conform to the requirements of the minister.

(3) Appropriate measures shall be taken by the owner or contractor to prevent pollution of the general environment by asbestos dust released from the workplace.

Section 22 Precautions

22. (1) Every owner or contractor shall take all necessary measures and procedures by means of engineering controls, work practices, hygiene practices and facilities to ensure that the exposure of an employee to airborne asbestos is reduced to the lowest practical level and in any case shall not exceed current threshold limit values as issued by the ACGIH.

(2) Every owner or contractor shall work in compliance with the work practices and hygiene practices of these regulations.

(3) Where respiratory equipment is provided by an owner or contractor and used by an employee, the respiratory equipment shall be appropriate in the circumstances for the type and the concentration of airborne asbestos and shall meet or exceed the requirements set out in section 16.