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WorkSafeBC

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Injury Prevention Resources for Construction - Hazardous Materials

General Construction | Hazardous Materials | Heavy Construction | Road Construction
Asbestos | Dust | Lead | Paints & Coatings | Silica

The following links list tools, publications, and other resources to help prevent the most common injuries and illnesses in the construction industry. These resources may not meet all the requirements for health and safety in British Columbia. Please check the Workers Compensation Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, and related materials for specific WorkSafeBC requirements.

Asbestos

Asbestos (video)

video thumbnail Asbestos is a tough, heat-resistant mineral that was added to the building materials of many older homes. It can pose health hazards to workers and homeowners who renovate or demolish those homes. This animation shows how asbestos fibres could damage lung tissue and lead to lung disease. (2 min 16 s )
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC

Asbestos in Demolition and Renovation (slide show)
video thumbnail This slide show demonstrates some of the common places where asbestos can be found in a home. (5 min 10 s )
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC

Hazard Alerts and bulletins about asbestosspace
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC

Toolbox Meeting Guides about asbestosspace
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC

Asbestos Hazards in Demolition, Renovation and Salvage WS 03-03space
A WorkSafe Bulletin.
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC

Also available in the following languages:

Asbestos Hazards When Renovating Older Homes PH71 (PDF 886 KB) space
Asbestos products may be found in older homes. This brochure explains the hazards of asbestos exposure for homeowners who are doing renovations. It provides sources of information for homeowners and employers.
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC
Updated: January 2009

Safe Work Practices for Handling Asbestos BK27 (PDF 1 MB)space
This booklet describes the safe methods of handling all types of asbestos-containing materials. It discusses suitable work procedures for the removal, enclosure, and encapsulation of friable asbestos materials.
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC
Available in print from Publications, Videos and Forms Distribution.
Updated: July 2006

An Evaluation of Glove Bag Containment in Asbestos Removal (PDF 3 MB)space
This report examines the effectiveness of the glove bag control method to prevent asbestos emissions during the removal of asbestos-containing pipe lagging.
Source: NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

Asbestos Standard for the Construction Industryspace
Source: OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

OSHA Asbestos Advisor 2.0space
"The Asbestos Advisor is an interactive compliance assistance tool. Once installed on your PC, it can interview you about buildings and worksites, and the kinds of tasks workers perform there. It will produce guidance on how the Asbestos standard may apply to those buildings and that work. Its guidance depends on your answers. It can provide general guidance and may, also, be focused on a particular project. It provides pop-up definitions through 'hypertext'."
Source: OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

OSHA Technical Links: Asbestosspace
List of "technical links" to internal and external online resources.
Source: OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

eLCOSH Asbestos Linksspace
Various resources on asbestos.
Source: eLCOSH (Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety and Health)

Vermiculite Insulation Containing Amphibole Asbestosspace
"Some vermiculite insulation may contain asbestos fibres. These products can cause health risks if disturbed during maintenance, renovation or demolition."
Source: Health Canada



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