A card as a prevention tool

An interactive map produced by the Association for Asbestos Victims in Quebec (AVAQ) makes it possible to locate more than 3,700 public buildings in Quebec, such as schools and hospitals, which contain asbestos.

The number of buildings listed does not surprise the organization. Asbestos was widely used in construction until the 1990s, particularly for the insulation and fire resistance of buildings, indicates Normand King, epidemiologist and scientific advisor at AVAQ.

Since February 15, 1990, the use of amosite and crocidolite, varieties of asbestos, has been prohibited in Quebec. In Canada, asbestos has been banned since 2018. However, the mineral remains present in various buildings, as demonstrated by this public register. In the Laurentians, buildings containing asbestos are notably located in Saint-Jérôme, Sainte-Adèle and Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, including the Saint-Jérôme Hospital, the Saint-Stanislas school, the Marie-Rose school, A.-N.-Morin secondary school and Laurentian Hospital.

Prevent and inform

When equipment that contains asbestos is in good condition, “there is absolutely no problem,” assures Normand King. In their inert state, these materials therefore present no danger. It is when work is carried out in a building containing asbestos that there are significant health risks. The regulations in force to prevent the emission and inhalation of asbestos fibers must then be applied. The interactive map therefore acts as a prevention tool. Workers could, for example, consult this map to find out if the building in which they work contains asbestos.

The AVAQ has not studied the application of the protocols, underlines Normand King. It is therefore unclear to what extent regulations are enforced at work sites. “As a precaution, we say here is the information, know that it exists. If you ever hear about work needing to be done at your home, know that there are regulations to follow. It is in our hope that the few places where this is not done will be more and more inclined to take these precautions,” explains the epidemiologist.

Exposure to asbestos fibers can also occur in a building that is in poor condition. “If there has been water damage through the roof, if the wall starts to be a little rotten, at that point, asbestos fibers will also be released,” explains Normand King. “If we know that the building contains asbestos in its structures, it is absolutely necessary to carry out preventive maintenance to ensure that the material remains in good condition.” Prevention is therefore aimed at everyone, not just workers.

Knowing that schools contain asbestos and that some of these infrastructures will require renovation or expansion work, prevention is essential. “In these schools, we must ensure that while waiting for work to be carried out, they remain in good condition to prevent dust and fibers from getting into the air,” warns Normand King.

And at the residential level?

For the moment, the AVAQ map does not include residential buildings. However, the organization hopes to convince municipalities to require an asbestos test from owners who want to renovate their homes. Normand King suggests that before granting a permit for renovations, the Municipality asks the owners to carry out an analysis to determine whether or not the building contains asbestos.

“In a residential environment where the owner hires a company, workers are protected by the laws and regulations that fall under the CNESST. But if Mr. Tremblay decides to do the work himself, there are no workers as such. So, there is nothing that protects anyone, hence our suggestion to require a test to see if there is asbestos and if so, to hire specialized contractors,” illustrates the scientific advisor to QALY.

At the level of the City of Sainte-Adèle, Eric Généreux, director of the town planning department, explains that there are no particular procedures. All prevention and safety standards come from safety codes and CNESST standards, he says. “It is up to the operator of a construction site to take precautions and measures to ensure that their work is safe. We ask that professionals be involved, such as a technologist or an architect, in planning the work, but we do not monitor the sites. »

Asked about the possibility of requiring an asbestos test before renovations, Mr. Généreux replied: “It’s always possible, it becomes a council decision. It would require additional resources to do that. Anyone who leads a construction site, in principle, is supposed to be aware of their obligations. So that just leaves us with the self-build people. “To start asking them for asbestos tests may just increase their costs quite a bit.”

Asbestos: Health risks

“Asbestos fibers contained in certain friable materials can become detached very easily, especially during handling, shock or vibration. Extremely fine, sometimes invisible to the naked eye, these fibers then propagate in the ambient air. And that is the danger. When a person breathes asbestos fibers, the greater the number of fibers inhaled, the longer the period of exposure, the greater the health risk,” we can read in a fact sheet from the CNESST on the dangers of exposure to asbestos.

Among other things, exposure to asbestos fibers can increase the risk of asbestosis, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, a relatively rare cancer of the lung lining or abdomen lining. .

Source: CNESST – Cheat sheet on the dangers of exposure to asbestos and prevention measures (2013).