Canada is poised to change the regulations regarding the handling of asbestos, making stricter safety rules. Why is this happening and what does this mean for the industry and the public? In today’s blog, we’re going to talk about asbestos in the news.
Unfortunately, Canada has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma—one of several asbestos-related illnesses—in the world. Hundreds of people die of mesothelioma every year. Most of these illnesses are due to asbestos exposure 25 years ago or more, before the handling of asbestos was regulated and its use in building materials became unpopular or illegal. There is a long latency period between exposure and becoming ill which is in a large part why some who work in the industry ignore the warnings and safety regulations.
That said, there are still people working in the building industry who get sick from asbestos. And the risks of asbestos exposure extend to those who live with people working in the industry because workers can go home with asbestos on their clothes.
One of the complications is a multi-billion dollar deal on the table to extract magnesium from mining waste that contains asbestos. Obviously, this is good for the economy but this kind of work will be very hazardous to workers.
British Columbia is looking to make regulations tighter and require those working with asbestos to be licenced by WorkSafeBC. There would also be mandatory courses of study for those working with asbestos. New regulations would also make it easier for the province to revoke licences of contractors who are not operating safely and according to the regulations.
Hazardous materials abatement is our business, and we support regulations that keep workers safe. Handling asbestos should never be done by amateurs. We can be reached toll-free in Surrey, BC at (888) 296-2499.
Enviro-Vac is one of the oldest privately owned environmental contractors in Canada with over four decades of experience offering a full suite of services in hazardous materials abatement, decontamination, industrial cleaning / plant dust down, industrial vacuum services and shrink- wrap negative pressure containments. Enviro-Vac are available to work both small and large-scale projects across Canada. The head office is based in Surrey, BC.
If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about hazardous materials abatement, decontamination or shrink-wrap solutions, please call us on our toll-free number, (888) 296-2499.
Sources:
https://canada.constructconnect.com/joc/news/ohs/2022/01/b-c-proposes-asbestos-abatement-rule-changes-looks-for-feedback
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500727/
https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/canada/
