Excerpt from the OH&S Canada magazine (April 2017)
The Dollar Tree location in downtown Victoria was temporarily closed after an inspection by WorkSafeBC, because of crumbling floor tiles containing asbestos.
The store was inspected by WorkSafeBC occupational-hygiene officer Jason Smit on February 21, 2017, according to the inspection report, which contains two outstanding orders. One was a stop-work order, and the other demanded compliance with the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.
Asbestos-containing floor tiles and asbestos inventory located in the retail area were found to be in poor, pulverized condition, the report states. “The employer has not controlled the material by removal, enclosure or encapsulation. Workers access this space and are required to move materials across these floor tiles.”
No work will be permitted in the store until it has met the following conditions: hired a qualified hazardous-materials consultant to perform a risk assessment regarding the building’s asbestos content; hired a qualified asbestos-abatement contractor to develop abatement procedures and clean up the risky areas; engaged a qualified person to conduct a final inspection and document that all asbestos is either safely contained or removed; and undergone a follow-up inspection by Smit.
“The employer must ensure that all friable asbestos-containing materials in the workplace are controlled by removal, enclosure or encapsulation, so as to prevent the release of airborne asbestos fibre,” Smit wrote.
My opinion
The problem with this is that asbestos is known to be a ‘Designated Substance’.
In Ontario, there are two regulations that deal with asbestos:
Ontario reg. 278/05 – Designated Substance – Asbestos on Construction Projects and In Buildings and Repair Operations; and
Ontario reg. 490/09 – Designated Substances
Asbestos is the only ‘Designated Substance’ that has two separate regulations and 278/05 would be appropriate here.
HRS Group Inc. has a great team that can help you with all your health and safety needs including ‘Due Diligence’, Asbestos Safety Awareness’ and ‘Standard Operating Procedures’. Contact Deborah toll free at 1-877-907-7744 or locally at 705-749-1259.
Ensure your workplace is a safe place.
Remember – In Ontario, “ALL Accidents are Preventable”
‘Work’ and ‘Play’ safe.
Daniel L. Beal
CHSEP – Advanced Level
CEO & Senior Trainer
HRS Group Inc.