What is a standard practice for asbestos sampling in residential houses in Ontario? The question was asked by my client, who is a real estate agent. They found 2-3 inches of Vermiculite in the attic of the house he sells.
My first answer was “one sample”. Now I am not so sure. Sometimes I receive 3 samples for testing, sometimes one. Is there a standard practice? Thank you.:neutral:
[FONT=Arial][size=2]Regardless of how many samples you take you still not be sure some area does not have asbestos .
Vermiculite came in individual bags and a person can not be sure they have sampled every one
http://www.carsondunlop.com/Inspectors/supplementary.htm
http://www.carsondunlop.com/OBS/vermiculite.htm
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/vermiculite.html
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Thank you Roy. There is a Ministry of Labour regulation which defines number of samples for different type of insulation materials. The problem is that it developed for industrial applications, and is too expensive for home owners. I hope, maybe there is an industry standard, which describes what to take to a lab and how many samples are enough.
3 samples required.
Scroll down to Table 1 (bulk samples). I didn’t read it all but, there may also be requirements as to who can collect the samples. When I worked in property restoration we could collect vinyl tile and send for sampling, but when we had insulation to test, the other company had to come and collect the samples. I think because it would have been a Type 3 Removal.
Thank you Steve. MOL regulation 278, has a table with number of samples vs contaminated area. I just want be sure that Home Inspection Industry does not have it own policy how to collect asbestos samples. So I guess it is the same requirement for everyone 3 samples of vermiculite per attic.
Thank you for your help!
Houses with more then 90 sq m call for 5 samples.
90 sq m = 968.7519 sq ft.
That’s Item #1 surface material though right?
Item #2 Insulation, 3 samples any size over 2 linear metres (.5 square metres)
I find that virtually every house that has vermiculite, regardless whether or not it is contaminated with asbestos, is completely cleaned out by either the purchaser or the vendor. It seems pointless to send anything away for testing knowing that the vermiculite will end up being taken out anyway!
If the owner removes himself, this is his problem as long as he disposes it according to law. If he hires people to remove vermiculite, it becomes mandatory to check for asbestos presence. MOL Rer 278 is specifically designed to protect workers from asbestos exposure.
My point is that sooner or later somebody will need to test it.
In this province there are very strict protocols for dealing with asbestos and its disposal. It’s also expensive. Every vermiculite sample that I’ve been involved with had asbestos. There was a house on the next block that had siding with asbestos in it and they enclosed the whole building before they removed the siding. The site was fenced off with 8’ high fences and big warning signs all around the site. Asbestos is a major issue when it comes to removing it and disposing of it. Big $$$$$ also.
How nuts can they be!! With a little care, asbestos siding can be taken off with little to no breakage…and little to no release of fibers…overblown fear of the problem.
In Halifax, certain sections of the city have asbestos in the plaster and asbestos based building paper between subfloor and hardwood…will every house have to be enclosed for renovation or demolition??
I hope everyone has the appropriate insurance before taking any samples…
Explain that one, Rodney.
Most E&O insurance policies do not cover asbestos or mold, etc. It can be very expensive to obtain insurance coverage for asbestos(requires special insurance, even for sampling), and many that think they are covered actually are not. Call your insurance company and ask them, see what happens…I’ve seen many people go down that road before.
I understand some Home Insurance companies are dropping clients that have asbestos siding one the home .
Vern had a good post on removal of this … Roy
Yea right! Maybe you would like to tell that to the fellows I worked with that have had some of their lungs removed, are on respirators or died prematurely.
These people were victims of idiots that had the same ignorant attitude you have.
Originally Posted by Brian A. MacNeish http://nachi.cachefly.net/forum/images/2006/buttons/viewpost.gif
How nuts can they be!!
Vern I have given up on BRIAN ,He is so smart and knows so much we ,just lack the knowledge to show him any thing .
I do some times read his arrogant know it all posts and chuckle .
Well, Vern…how toxic is absestos?
Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory and fibrotic medical condition affecting the parenchymal tissue of the lungs caused by the inhalation and retention of asbestos fibers. It usually occurs after high intensity and/or long-term exposure to asbestos (particularly in those individuals working on the production or end-use of products containing asbestos) and is therefore regarded as an occupational lung disease. People with extensive occupational exposure to the mining, manufacturing, handling or removal of asbestos are at risk of developing asbestosis.[1]](InterNACHI®️ Forum - InterNACHI®️ Forum - A community for home inspectors) Sufferers may experience severe dyspnea (shortness of breath) and are at an increased risk for certain malignancies, including lung cancer and mesothelioma.[2]](InterNACHI®️ Forum - InterNACHI®️ Forum - A community for home inspectors) Asbestosis specifically refers to interstitial (parenchymal) fibrosis from asbestos, and not pleural fibrosis or plaquing.
The above is from the **Wikimediaw or wikipedia site. **
