Additional
Information Regarding Hazardous Building Materials
Hazardous building materials are found in virtually
every building environment, including hospitals,
schools, industrial, commercial and residential
buildings. For the most part, these materials are
not hazardous to building occupants unless they
become degraded or are disturbed during
construction, renovation or demolition activities.
In order to ensure the health and safety of
construction workers with respect to hazardous
building materials, Section 30 of the Occupational
Health and Safety Act requires an owner to determine
whether any designated substances are present at a
project site prior to construction activities. A
list of designated substances present must then be
prepared by the owner and distributed to prospective
constructors, contractors and subcontractors as part
of the bidding process. An owner who fails to comply
with Section 30 is liable to the constructor and
every contractor and subcontractor who suffers any
loss or damages due to incompliance.
What are Designated Substances ?
Designated substances are a group of eleven
individual contaminants that are known to be
particularly hazardous and can cause significant
occupational illness. The eleven designated
substances and some examples of their uses or where
they can be found are summarized below:
1. Acrylonitrile (used in the production of acrylic
fibres, plastics, elastomers, adhesives, etc.)
2. Arsenic (certain wood preservatives, occurs
naturally in rock formations, metallurgy)
3. Asbestos (sprayed fireproofing, pipe insulation,
ceiling tiles, floor tiles, etc.)
4. Benzene (solvent found in petroleum products)
5. Coke oven emissions (industrial manufacturing
facilities)
6. Ethylene oxide (used in industrial chemical
processes and hospitals)
7. Isocyanates (production of polyurethane plastics
and rigid foam insulation)
8. Lead (paint, mortar and plumbing solder)
9. Mercury (thermometers, fluorescent lamps,
switches and laboratories)
10. Silica (dust from concrete, mortar and ceiling
tiles)
11. Vinyl chloride (used in the production of PVC
and other chlorinated hydrocarbons)
In Ontario, individual regulations (Ontario
Regulations 835 to 846) have been developed for each
of these particular contaminants. These regulations
require employers to take all necessary measures t
o
ensure that workers are not overexposed to
designated substances, including not only their own
employees but also those who work on construction at
their workplace.
The regulations do not apply to a
constructor or to an employer on a construction
project. However, construction employers still have
a duty to protect their workers from exposure to
designated substances. In order to ensure that
construction employers are adequately protecting
their workers to two designated substances commonly
encountered during construction projects, the
Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) has recently
published draft guidelines for lead and silica on
construction projects.
It is hoped that the
development of such guidelines will assist employers
and workers in taking proper precautions to reduce
exposure to these substances during construction to
prevent occupational diseases.
In addition to the designated substances listed
above, a variety of other potentially hazardous
materials (such as PCBs, CFCs, stored chemicals,
mould and guano) may be present within your facility
that also require proper control and/or disposal
requirements during construction or renovation
activities. SEL has the technical expertise to
identify all hazardous materials present at your
site and design and implement management and control
programs for these materials. If you are planning
any construction or renovation projects, hazardous
materials must be identified prior to work to
protect the health and safety of occupants and
workers.
