Students And Workers Are Potentially Exposed To This Deadly Mineral On A Daily Basis
Although asbestos is not widely used in construction anymore, it has yet to be banned in Canada. Many other countries have banned the mineral because it is harmful—and often lethal. It is known as a silent killer because it can take twenty years for people to start showing symptoms of the common lung diseases associated with asbestos. However, it is still present in many buildings across Canada. Asbestos is only harmful when the particles are in the air and inhaled, but many actions can disturb asbestos in buildings and expose people to these particles. It’s especially common in older buildings. For a city like Ottawa, with numerous beautiful old buildings, there are no doubt more than a few with asbestos. These buildings house many people on a daily basis, and these people—children, youth, and adults—are at risk of asbestos exposure. To remove the risk, professional asbestos abatement for Ottawa and Canadian buildings is necessary. If the asbestos removal isn’t done properly—and by professionals—more people will risk exposure to disturbed asbestos.
Asbestos in Schools
Since many elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities in Ottawa (and the rest of Canada, for that matter) were built prior to 1990, they most likely have asbestos in their structures. These older schools will need repairs on ceilings and pipe wraps that are falling apart—some of the most common locations for asbestos. If repairs are done without an asbestos abatement professional, the asbestos might remain in the ceilings—or fall out—with an increased chance of being disturbed as time goes on. Asbestos in schools can be disturbed in many ways, including renovations, tech installations, hammering, and the bouncing of balls in gyms.
Asbestos in Office Buildings
Many federal government office buildings across Canada contain asbestos. According to federal standards, workers can be exposed to one fiber of asbestos per cubic centimeter of air. This amount of exposure is more than ten times greater than the level permitted in Europe and the U.S. Provincial standards, however, are lower. The risk of exposure is greater when renovations are taking place in office buildings. Ottawa is also on an active seismic zone—earthquakes are more common. Regardless of the intensity of an earthquake, any structure that is shaken will have disturbed asbestos.
Professional asbestos abatement and removal are the only ways to reduce the risk of asbestos exposure in Canadian schools and office buildings. Contact an asbestos abatement expert in Ottawa for more information on the safe removal of asbestos.
