Commercial Asbestos Removal in Toronto & gta

Asbestos & worker health safety

Asbestos is a group of natural minerals composed of tiny, fibrous crystals. When these fibers are inhaled, they can cause serious illnesses including rare and deadly cancers.

Is Asbestos-related death on the rise in Canada?

According to Statistics Canada, there was a 60% increase of Canadians that died of mesothelioma between 2000 and 2012. This represents an increase in deaths from 292 in 2000 to 467 in 2012, the most recent year for which data is available.

Asbestos removal regulation and liability

The disposal and transportation of asbestos waste is regulated by the Ontario government. Therefore, dealing with asbestos independently can result in hefty fines. For example, in 2009, a company and its director in Cambridge, Ontario, were fined a total of $70,000 in contrary to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Types of asbestos abatement we handle

Our fully-certified technicians have successfully completed the Asbestos Abatement Worker Training Program approved by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and are able to handle all three types of asbestos abatement, as designated by the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The regulations specify 3 types of asbestos abatement operations; namely, Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3:

Type 1 Asbestos Abatement Operations Include

• • Removing asbestos-containing ceiling tiles, vinyl floor tiles, etc.
  • Removing non-friable asbestos-containing materials, other than ceilings.
  • Breaking, cutting, drilling, abrading, grinding, sanding or vibrating non-friable asbestos-containing materials.

Note: Containment is not required during Type 1 Operations and the use of power tools is not allowed.

Type 2 Asbestos Abatement Operations Include

• • Small areas or amounts of friable asbestos-containing materials (i.e. pipe insulation, floor duct, paper wrap insulation, sheet flooring, etc.)
  • Removing all or part of a false-ceiling to obtain access to a work area, if asbestos-containing material is likely to be lying on the surface of the false ceiling.
  • Enclosing friable asbestos-containing material.
  • Breaking, cutting, drilling, abrading, grinding, sanding or vibrating non-friable asbestos-containing materials.

Note: Containment is required during Type 2 Operations, as is the use of Negative Air HEPA Filtration and Personal Protective Equipment.

Type 3 Asbestos Abatement Operations Include

• • Repairing, altering or demolishing all or part of any building in which asbestos is or was used in the manufacture of products, unless the asbestos was cleaned up and removed before March 16, 1986.
  • Large areas or amounts of friable asbestos-containing material (greater than 1 square metre) including all of the above materials, and more...

Note: In addition to Type 2 Requirements, containment with a portable shower is also required.

For those not familiar with the nature of asbestos and the health hazards caused by prolonged exposure, please read on...

Q: Can I detect asbestos on my own?

The only way to visually confirm the presence of asbestos is if materials that contain it are labeled as such; otherwise, you can’t be sure. This is where asbestos abatement specialists add value.

Note: We use third party independent environmental consultants to avoid any conflict of interest.

Read our asbestos removal blog to learn more.

Trust our commercial asbestos removal contractors to get the job done right

We have over 50 years of combined experience, offering professional Asbestos Removal for commercial, institutional, industrial and other commercial properties. We use only proven environmentally-friendly methods throughout Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Ontario.

IICRC Certified Professionals

GreenStream Environmental Inc. is a Professionally Certified Firm by the IICRC with active certifications recognized by the IICRC, including:

• Applied Structural Drying
• Water Damage Restoration Technician
• Applied Microbial Remediation Technician

*References and proof of certification are available upon request.

For Emergencies and or discrete, free on-site estimates anywhere in Toronto or the GTA on Asbestos Remediation, please call 416. 818. 9414. You’ll be glad you did!