Asbestos & Vermiculite Surveys, Testing & Assessments for Toronto and GTA

Speak with a Certified Asbestos & Vermiculite Removal Professional. Call (416) 575-6111 Today: Serving Toronto, Barrie, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Ontario since 2005

Environmental Services Group is a Toronto based asbestos and vermiculite testing and removal company. Our services include assessments, surveying, air sampling and reporting on asbestos containing materials, including vermiculite. Removal is done by qualified and fully trained asbestos abatement professionals.

Our qualified staff at Environmental Services Group can help you to determine if your home contains asbestos, which may occur in a variety of areas from ceiling and floor tiles to vermiculite insulation in the walls and attic. We’ll assess the risk, select the most appropriate method of managing the problem, and perform the abatement operation - be it removal and disposal or encapsulation.

Owners of commercial properties and residential complexes with 6 or more individual units should refer to sections 7 and 8 in the Ontario regulations which came into effect November 1, 2006. As an owner or property manager you need to know your responsibilities.

Call Environmental Services Group today for an Asbestos Survey of your building and property.

The new regulations can be found on the ministry website.

Fast Facts:

FACT:: Workers who were exposed to asbestos during its usage period are now only beginning to show the symptoms of the various diseases it can cause.

FACT:Working on materials that contain asbestos may release the fibers into the air.The risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma increases with the number of fibers inhaled. The risk of lung cancer is also greater to people who smoke. Symptoms of these diseases do not show up until many years after exposure begins. Most people with asbestos-related diseases were exposed to elevated concentrations on the job.

• Cement Pipes Laboratory Hoods/Table Tops Elevator Brake Shoes
• Cement Wallboard Laboratory Gloves HVAC Duct Insulation
• Cement Siding Fire Blankets Boiler Insulation
• Asphalt Floor Tile Fire Curtains Breaching Insulation
• Vinyl Floor Tile Elevator Equipment Panels Ductwork Flexible Fabric Connections
• Vermiculite insulation, attic insulation
• Vinyl Sheet Flooring Caulking/Putties Cooling Towers
• Flooring Backing Adhesives Pipe Insulation (corrugated air-cell, block, etc.)
• Construction Mastics (floor tile, carpet, ceiling tile, etc.)
• Wallboard Heating and Electrical Ducts
• Acoustical Plaster Joint Compounds Vinyl Wall Coverings
• Decorative Plaster Spackling Compounds High Temperature Gaskets
• CTextured Paints/Coatings Roofing Shingles Roofing Felt
• Ceiling Tiles and Lay-in Panels Base Flashing Thermal Paper Products
• Spray-Applied Insulation Fire Doors Electrical Cloth
• Blown-in Insulation Electrical Panel Partitions Fireproofing Materials
• Taping Compounds (thermal) Packing Materials (for wall/floor penetrations)
• Electric Wiring Insulation, Chalkboards

Usually it is best to leave asbestos material that is in good condition alone. If you have any concerns you should call a professional for proper assessment. Generally, material in good condition will not release asbestos fibers. Try to prevent the material from being damaged, disturbed, or touched. Periodically inspect the material for damage or deterioration.

FACT:There is no “safe level” of exposure. Being exposed to small amounts over time can still have adverse health effects.

Asbestos is the name given to a number of naturally occurring minerals that naturally form as masses of long silky fibers. They are mined for their useful properties such as thermal insulation, chemical and thermal stability, and high tensile strength. Asbestos is commonly used as an acoustic insulator, thermal insulation, fire proofing and in other building materials. Many products are in use today that still contain asbestos.

In the case of home insulation, vermiculite itself poses no danger; however, the vast majority of vermiculite used in North America came from a Montana mine that was found to be contaminated with asbestos. An expert may be able to recognize it by sight, but vermiculite testing is the only real way to be sure.

Asbestos is made up of microscopic bundles of fibers that may become airborne or “friable” when asbestos-containing materials are damaged or disturbed. When these fibers get into the air they may be inhaled into the lungs, where they can cause significant health problems.

The most dangerous asbestos fibers are too small to be visible. They can become airborne when asbestos-containing materials are disturbed or during improper removal. Once they are inhaled, the fibers can remain and build up in the lungs. Breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.

• Asbestosis - A lung disease first found in naval shipyard workers, asbestosis is a scarring of the lung tissue from an acid produced by the body's attempt to dissolve the fibers. The scarring may eventually become so severe that the lungs can no longer function. The latency period (the time it takes for the disease to develop) is often 10-20 years
• Mesothelioma - Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is found in the thin lining (membrane) of the lung, chest, abdomen, and heart and almost all cases are linked to exposure to asbestos. This disease may not show up until many years after asbestos exposure. This is why great efforts are being made to prevent school children from being exposed.
• Lung Cancer - Lung cancer causes the largest number of deaths related to asbestos exposure. People who work in the mining, milling, manufacturing of asbestos, and those who use asbestos and its products are more likely to develop lung cancer than the general population. The most common symptoms of lung cancer are coughing and a change in breathing. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent chest pains, hoarseness, and anemia. People who have been exposed to asbestos and also are exposed to some other cancer-causing product, such as cigarette smoke, have a greater risk of developing lung cancer than people who have only been exposed to asbestos.

The only way to tell if an object contains asbestos by looking at it is if the material is labeled. Otherwise, you should have it sampled and analyzed by a qualified professional. Until you receive the results, treat the material as if it contains asbestos. Samples should be extracted only by qualified professionals, such as the team at Environmental Services Group. If improperly done, extracting samples can be more hazardous than leaving the material undisturbed.

Environmental Services Group can provide you with a quote on Asbestos Abatement. The most common materials to be removed are pipe insulation, vinyl tile flooring and vermiculite attic insulation.

Suspect materials remain suspect until a microscopic exam is completed and no asbestos fibres are found in the material composition.

Vermiculite attic insulation is done as a Type 3 abatement which includes a containment set up with a shower. Post Sampling is required.

Asbestos is a Designated Substance and, as such, exposure to airborne asbestos is regulated by the Ontario Regulation 278/05-Designated Substance-Asbestos, made under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. A full print out of the document is available.

The removal of asbestos containing material is categorized under 3 sections:

Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 abatements.

Should you suspect the presence of asbestos or vermiculite in your home or business, contact us today – asbestos testing and removal specialists serving Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) – at (416) 575-6111.