Hazardous Building Materials

Safetech Environmental Limited (SEL) understands the importance of ensuring a safe environment for workers and visitors to your facility.  Our expertise and practical approach is second to none when the health and safety of your workplace is our responsibility.  Our range of consulting, inspection and testing services for hazardous building materials includes the following:

• Hazardous Materials Surveys - In order to comply with Section 30 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, all designated substances must be identified by a building owner prior to construction activities.  SEL has particular experience in the identification of designated substances within buildings and can provide a comprehensive report on a ‘room-by-room’ basis regarding the location and condition of these materials (including asbestos, lead, silica, mercury, etc.), with recommendations for management and remediation.  In addition to the designated substances, SEL can identify other materials (such as mould, guano or stored chemicals) that can be hazardous to building occupants or workers that may be required to disturb these materials as part of renovation activities.

• Design of Hazardous Materials Management Programs - Based on the Hazardous Materials Survey, SEL can provide our clients with a comprehensive management plan to assist building owners with the day to day management of these materials. A Hazardous Materials Management Program is simply a document that acts as a blue print for management on how to handle identified hazardous materials. A typical management program will provide direction on such issues as the locations of hazardous materials, responsibilities of key personnel, abatement procedures, emergency situation procedures and other issues as required. 

• Recommendations on Abatement - Asbestos is the only designated substance that has a regulation dealing specifically with abatement during construction projects.  This regulation requires certain control procedures to be put in place if asbestos is likely to be disturbed.  The extent of control procedures and personal protection required for workers to remove the asbestos depends on the type, condition and quantity of asbestos-containing material.  SEL has a strong understanding of this regulation and its requirements and can provide our clients with the appropriate recommendations for remediation.  Although specific abatement regulations do not exist for other designated substances this does not mean that special precautions should not be taken to protect workers and building occupants to exposure.  SEL can also provide recommendations for safe abatement of these materials.

• Design of Contract Specifications, Tendering, Walkthroughs, Evaluation - Once hazardous materials are identified in the workplace, SEL can assist building owners with the abatement of these materials. Our consulting services include the design of contract specifications that outline the hazardous materials to be abated, detailed procedures to be followed during abatement, site walkthroughs with abatement contractors and evaluation of submitted tenders to ensure the best overall submission is chosen.

• Inspection and Air Monitoring During Abatement - In order to ensure the health and safety of workplaces are maintained, building owners often engage SEL to provide inspection and air monitoring services during the actual abatement phase. The main purpose of this service is to ensure all engineering controls chosen during the design phase are successfully implemented and maintained. SEL conducts air monitoring before, during and after the abatement phase and has the capabilities to set-up an on-site laboratory during the abatement of asbestos–containing materials.

 Additional Services for Asbestos-Containing Materials

 Additional Information Regarding Hazardous Building Materials