Asbestos Testing
At Breathe Easy Eco Solutions, we help you protect yourself, your family and your employees from the risks of asbestos by providing asbestos testing in Winnipeg and across Manitoba. We will conduct your inspection per the Province's regulations to ensure you're compliant. If the building you're residing in or working in was built before the 1990s, you must get it tested for asbestos.
Once disturbed, asbestos fibres can stay in the air for hours, and breathing them can have severe irreversible consequences for your health. If you have questions about our asbestos testing in Winnipeg, please get in touch with us. We can also offer air quality testing.
The Importance of Asbestos Testing
Until you get your property tested for asbestos, you have no way of knowing whether or not you're exposing yourself, your family, or your employees to the dangers of asbestos. Testing becomes especially important when you occupy older buildings that have never been tested for the material. Those considering renovations or changes to their property of any sort should consider the fact that they might disturb asbestos-containing material and involuntary release asbestos fibres in the air. Lastly, the province strictly regulates the testing, removal and disposal of asbestos. Failure to comply with the mandates relating to considerations such as employee safety can also cause legal issues.
Asbestos testing is a risky procedure that must only be carried out by experienced professionals like us at Breathe Easy Eco Solutions. We have years of experience performing asbestos testing for commercial and residential properties in Winnipeg and adhere to all the required guidelines while providing you with our services.If you'd like to learn more about how important it is to test for asbestos in your commercial or residential property, please get in touch with our team
Risk Levels
Asbestos is a highly toxic material, exposure to which can lead to numerous health problems. Different kinds of exposure can cause varying degrees of issues. The different levels of risk when dealing with asbestos in your commercial space or home are:
Low risk: The risk level is low when the testing and handling of the non-crumbling ACMs is carried out as per the recommended health and safety requirements.
Moderate risk: When handling friable ACMs for less than 3 hours, some fibres will be released into the air, leading to moderate risk.
High risk: Handling friable ACMs where the release of asbestos fibres is expected causes high risk.
Legal Requirements
When it comes to properties that are suspected of having asbestos, property owners, employers or contractors have certain crucial responsibilities. Before undertaking any action for the elimination of asbestos from the property, these individuals are mandated to make sure that:
As seasoned asbestos testing professionals in Winnipeg, we can help your workplace comply with the province's regulations to make it safer. If you have any questions, please send them to us, and we will get back to you shortly.
Sample Collection
Collecting possible ACMs as samples is one of the most critical aspects of asbestos inspection. As a part of the asbestos sample collection process, we adhere to certain guidelines, such as:
Health Hazards to Long Term Exposure of Asbestos
Prolonged exposure to asbestos can result in asbestosis (scarring of the lungs with breathing difficulties), mesothelioma (a rare cancer of the lining of the chest or abdominal cavity), and other specific types of lung cancer. Asbestos fibres, unlike other particles, cannot be easily exhaled as once inhaled, they have little hooks that let them stay in your respiratory system. There are around 5 to 20 cases per year in Manitoba. The occurrence of cases has drastically gone down since the safety measures have been implemented.
How to Detect Asbestos Insulation?
The most common method of detecting asbestos insulation is through asbestos testing. For many years, companies have been using asbestos in hot water pipe insulation, roofing, flooring, and siding shingles, walls, attics and more. It is very important to use proper technology and the correct equipment to detect the presence of asbestos materials.
Here are the steps Breathe Easy Eco Solutions takes while detecting asbestos:
At Breathe Easy Eco Solutions, we use the latest technology and top-quality equipment for asbestos testing. We have trained and certified staff that can safely collect materials for asbestos testing. You can call our experts today to detect and test for the presence of asbestos in your home.
Regulations in Winnipeg on Managing Asbestos
Asbestos-containing materials have been used extensively in buildings, homes and building materials before 1990. Manitoba’s Workplace Safety and Health Regulation have requirements for asbestos management that must be followed diligently. According to Manitoba’s Workplace Safety and Health says that if asbestos material is present in a property, it must be identified and inspected by a qualified expert. Workers must undertake all safety precautions before disturbing the material and ensure that proper disposal or removal procedures take place.
Commonly Asked Questions
Most homeowners are unaware of the presence of asbestos on their property; once they realize it's there, they don’t know how to get rid of it. So we have answered some asbestos-related questions to give you a better picture:
Keep in Mind
If you're still unsure whether to use our asbestos testing in Winnipeg, consider the following information:
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Asbestos is one of the leading causes of workplace deaths in Manitoba.
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Numerous materials can contain asbestos, such as mechanical insulation, linoleum backing, drywall taping compound, cement board and tiles, decorative textured coatings and more.
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Asbestos is present in many buildings constructed before 1990. It was in more than 3,000 building materials because of its insulating qualities and fire resistance.
If you'd like to know more about our asbestos analysis in Winnipeg, please don't hesitate to reach out. We invite you to check out our FAQs section.
Concerned About Exposure to Asbestos Fibres?
We offer government-approved asbestos removal procedures and guidance.
*It's free for us to come to your house to assess the mould or asbestos, but if you want testing (mould testing or, more often, asbestos test) where we take samples and send it to a lab, there is a fee. Customers can also drop off samples at our office.