91社区

Asbestos is a natural fibrous rock. In Quebec, the most common types of asbestos are chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite.Asbestos is fire-resistant and has good heat, sound and electrical insulation properties.

For these reasons, asbestos was commonly used in building materials up until the 1990s and is still found in buildings constructed before then.

Asbestos is a health concern only if the fibres become airborne and can be inhaled. As mentioned on the , the 鈥渞isk of someone having health problems associated with exposure to asbestos increases with the amount of asbestos fibres to which the person is exposed and the duration and frequency of the person鈥檚 exposure to asbestos fibres.鈥�

It also mentions that 鈥渉ealth problems associated with asbestos are rare in the general population鈥�; they are more common in people who work in asbestos mines, factories that manufacture parts containing asbestos, and the construction and demolition industries. This is because people in those jobs have a significantly higher chance of being exposed over a longer period of time and to higher concentrations.

As explained on the , breathing in asbestos fibres can cause:

- Lung cancer

- Asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs, which makes it difficult to breathe

- Mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the lining of the chest or abdominal cavity

As explained on the , materials containing asbestos may be hazardous to health when fibres are released into the air, which may happen when these materials are:

In bad condition

Friable, which means they can be crumbled or reduced to powder

Sawed, drilled, cut, sanded or broken

Materials containing asbestos that are in good condition, not friable and left undisturbed do not present health hazards.鈥�

Employees and students can create a record of having worked/studied in a building where they worry they were potentially exposed to asbestos by . The information will be kept on file by the University.

Yes. As asbestos was used in construction in Quebec up until the 1990s, asbestos-containing materials can be found in many 91社区 buildings.

The University has an asbestos web database used to collect and maintain information about asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in its buildings. The database is not complete; adding to and updating the database is an ongoing process. Read these instructions on how to browse through the asbestos database.

91社区 has processes and procedures in place aimed at ensuring that asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in all buildings and infrastructure owned by the University are managed in a way that safeguards the health and safety of the University community in conformity with all applicable laws, including the , the), the , and general standards of practice. Following recent legislative changes, 91社区 has been updating its processes and procedures related to asbestos management.

Facilities Management and Ancillary Services encourages members of the 91社区 community to report degrading building materials, fallen ceiling tiles or the presence of debris. Should you come across any of these situations, you should:

1. Protect yourself first, for example by leaving the immediate area and going to a safe location.

2. If possible, keep others out of the area as well.

3. Contain the issue if you can (e.g., close the door).

4. Report the situation to the Facilities Call Centre by calling 514-398-4555.

Examples of incidents involving asbestos include:

- Water infiltration, damage, floods

- Issues with ceiling tiles (collapsed, damaged, cracked, wet, missing)

- Visible damages or openings within ceilings and walls not present before

- Presence of debris or degraded construction materials (incl. abnormal presence of dust)

- Discovery or disturbance of suspected asbestos-containing materials - Any construction or maintenance activity that may not be following asbestos-related procedures:

o Worker without proper personal protective equipment in asbestos zone

o Individual with personal protective equipment works or circulates outside the asbestos zone

o Asbestos enclosure compromised (polyethelene plastic detached or torn)

o Package labeled "asbestos" or yellow waste bag is found

Do not enter a space that has been closed following a suspected asbestos incident without authorization from Environmental Health and Safety. You may expose yourself to asbestos fibres if you access the space without the proper personal protective equipment and procedures. In addition, you risk spreading asbestos fibres if the item(s) you wish to pick up are contaminated

From building repairs or renovation to installation or removal of telecommunications equipment, staff from or hired by Facilities Management and Ancillary Services and IT Services are often required to perform work in ceilings or other spaces where asbestos-containing materials may be present. Depending on the nature of the work, they may need to manipulate or move these materials and could potentially be exposed to asbestos fibres (from detached pieces of materials or dust).

Standard safety protocols 鈥� which vary depending on the level of risk 鈥� are put in place when such work is planned. The protocols may require that the workers wear personal protective equipment*, or that temporary enclosures or mobile tents be put in place where the work is happening. They may also involve the use of specialized vacuuming equipment (such as a high-efficiency particulate absorbing 鈥� or HEPA 鈥� filter) so that uncontained asbestos fibres 鈥� if there are any 鈥� are captured. These measures are used to protect both the workers and the occupants of the building.

*Personal protective equipment for this type of work may include a Tyvek suit, work gloves, full- or half-face reusable respirators fitted with high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) cartridges, hard hats, gloves and steel-toe work shoes or boots.

91社区鈥檚 construction projects are planned and carried out in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. All necessary measures are put in place to ensure the safety of both the workers and the building users. For example:

- At the start of a project, the project team consults 91社区鈥檚 asbestos web database to check whether there are asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in the spaces where work is planned. If more information is needed, additional materials testing is performed.

- If the presence of ACMs is confirmed, it is included in the project team鈥檚 risk assessment so that the appropriate protective measures can be identified and deployed.

- Protective measures during the work may include (but are not limited to):

o Complete isolation of the work site from the rest of the building, under negative pressure (i.e., lower pressure inside the workspace to prevent any contaminant from being released outside the workspace)

o Dust containment and dust collection procedures and equipment (such as high-efficiency particulate absorbing 鈥� or HEPA 鈥� filter)

o Air tests, including outside the construction zone, where stipulated by regulation

- The project team includes an internal Health and Safety Manager assigned strictly to construction projects. When required, an external industrial hygiene consultant is hired to verify that the contractor uses the proper work methods and to ensure that no activity compromises worker or occupant safety.

Shortly before the start of a construction/renovation project, the project managers share with the building director a 鈥淐onstruction Start鈥� notice that gives an overview of the project. The notice will usually mention whether a project includes work under asbestos conditions. The building directors are asked to share the construction start notice with their building users. The notice is also published on the FMAS website.

There are different types of asbestos testing that are conducted at 91社区 depending on the circumstances:

Bulk sampling:These tests consist of taking samples of building materials (e.g. walls or ceiling tiles) to verify whether they contain asbestos.

Air tests: An air test conducted to government specifications, and yielding results that meet provincial and 91社区 safety standards, can lead to the determination that an area is safe for occupants.

91社区鈥檚 self-imposed threshold is a maximum of 0.01 fibre per cubic centimetre of air. This is the threshold used in Quebec to ensure safe occupancy after work done in high-risk conditions due to the presence of asbestos. Outside of this kind of work, the regulatory threshold used in Quebec is 0.1 fibre per cubic centimetre of air. 91社区 prefers to always use the more stringent threshold of 0.01 fibre given the high volume of construction/renovation projects and repairs in our buildings.