Asbestos Testing

While legislation in 1978 throughout Canada saw the use of asbestos banned from building material, many buildings constructed before the 1990s will likely still include asbestos-containing products. Such products include insulation, plaster, floor and ceiling tiles, house siding, stucco, drywall, popcorn textures, and more.

When safely encased, asbestos presents no harm. However, once the material encasing the asbestos has been damaged or disturbed, the microscopic asbestos fibres are then able to fly into the air and into your lungs. As a friable (crumbly) material, it is very easy for asbestos particles to escape once disturbed. If you’re concerned or have seen signs of damaged material that could potentially contain asbestos, contact an expert in order to have the material taken and tested for potential hazards.

As an invisible part of most materials, you won’t be able to tell if a material contains asbestos just by looking at it. A full laboratory test is required, so it is best to have asbestos experts come in to take a small sample of the suspect material for testing.

OHS regulation in Victoria, British Columbia requires that any hazardous materials, such as asbestos, be identified prior to any work or demolition of a building or structure. Moreover, legislation in Victoria requires that all materials potentially containing asbestos be tested before removal. As such, it is in your best interests to have potentially hazardous material tested, particularly before big projects such as renovations, to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Disturbing materials without first determining what hazards might be in them can result in severe health problems later on.

Before having your home tested for asbestos, make sure the testing area is well prepared. We recommend that you take certain precautions to help decrease the risk of asbestos exposure, such as turning off all fans or ventilation systems that could circulate asbestos fibres, and making sure that no one besides the experts are in the same room or area. From there, we can safely take a sample for testing.

Don’t take the risk of accidentally exposing yourself and those around you to airborne asbestos fibres. Contact the experts at Elemental Asbestos & Mold Removal today to know if your home or business contains any risk of asbestos exposure and to learn more about what you can do to keep safe.