Air Quality Canada Inc. is an environmental consulting firm with experienced professionals who perform Asbestos Assessments and other testing services. Whether your concerns are residential, commercial or industrial, we are here to help – Your Safety is our business.
Vermiculite was a popular insulation medium widely used between 1940 and 1990. Vermiculite is often an Asbestos Containing Material (ACM), and poses a significant risk to your health. While not all Vermiculite contains Asbestos, vermiculite testing is required before the insulating material is disturbed.
Visually, asbestos contaminated Vermiculite is difficult to identify as it looks nearly identical to asbestos free Vermiculite. A trained environmental specialist is required to make the determination of asbestos contamination.
There is no “safe level” of exposure, and even small amounts over time can have significant negative effects on your health.
Asbestos fibres can become airborne or “friable” when Asbestos-Containing Materials (ACM) are damaged or disturbed. Once they begin to circulate in the air, they are easily inhaled into the lungs. This is how Asbestos readily causes significant health problems such as asbestosis, mesothelioma and other lung cancers.
We have a standard “Asbestos Assessment” procedure, however every situation is unique. Therefore, we custom tailor every inspection to suit your needs. We will consult with you to determine the specifics of your situation.
Our Asbestos Assessment Includes:
The only way to confirm if an object contains Asbestos is by having it sampled and analyzed by a Qualified Professional and Accredited Laboratory. Prior to assessment and analysis, precautions must be taken to treat the material as if it contains Asbestos. Samples should only be extracted by trained technicians. Improperly extracting samples can be more hazardous than leaving the material undisturbed. If you suspect an Asbestos-containing material, call today and get it tested immediately.
Look at the photos on this website and then look at the insulation without disturbing it. Vermiculite insulation is a pebble-like, pour-in product and is usually gray-brown or silver-gold in colour.
The following photographs show typical vermiculite insulation:
We have a standard “Asbestos Assessment” procedure, however every situation is unique. Therefore, we custom tailor every inspection to suit your needs. We will consult you and your situation over the phone in order to assessing your particular needs.
We do not. In order to offer an ethical service our clients can trust, we work with a third-party, local A2LA accredited Laboratory. This allows the results to be defensible in court. It is strongly suggested that you work with a environmental consulting company who does not perform in-house lab work.
Asbestos is a Designated Substance under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Ontario Regulation 278/05 – Designated Substance — Asbestos On Construction Projects And In Buildings And Repair Operations; January 2011).
Owners of commercial properties and residential complexes with 6 or more individual units along with any property owner planning renovations have certain responsibilities when it comes to the potential presence of asbestos on their properties. The new regulations can be found on the Ministry website. If you own property that was built before the mid-1980’s, you need to know where your responsibilities lie.
If you do not think your employer is doing enough to protect you from Asbestos, contact your provincial Occupational Health Agency or The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), a national government-funded agency.
