Did you know there are 11 designated substances?

HAZARDOUS BUILDING MATERIALS / DESIGNATED SUBSTANCES SURVEYS

In Ontario, Section 30 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act requires a building owner to determine whether any designated substances are present at a project site prior to construction activities and disclose this information 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 damage due to non-compliance.

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 include:

• Acrylonitrile

• Arsenic

• Asbestos

• Benzene

• Coke Oven Emissions

• Ethylene oxide

• Isocyanates

• Lead

• Mercury

• Silica

• Vinyl chloride

In addition to designated substances, a hazardous building materials survey often also identifies a variety of other potentially hazardous materials such as:

• PCBs

• Ozone-Depleting Substances

• Guano Contamination

• Stored Chemicals

• Mould Contamination

• UFFI

A formal document that identifies these hazardous building materials within the area of renovation will provide contractors and subcontractors with the information they need to protect their workers as well as building occupants. Safetech can provide this document and the services necessary to ensure that any disturbance of hazardous building materials is performed safely to protect construction workers and building occupants from exposure.