Can asbestos in Ottawa house siding harm me outdoors?

Health Canada says there are no significant health risks if materials containing asbestos are in good condition and left undisturbed. Cement siding is on Ontario's guide list of materials that may contain asbestos, and Health Canada lists house siding among older building materials that may contain it.

The key word is "undisturbed." Health Canada identifies drilling, sawing, sanding, scraping and breaking apart as renovation activities that can release fibres. Intact siding on a standing house, not being cut or abraded, is a different situation from siding being removed or repaired. If any work on the siding is planned, test it first.

If work is planned

Once a contractor touches that siding, Ontario's O. Reg. 278/05 applies to them in full, even though the owner-occupier exemption means the regulation's owner duties do not apply to you personally. The Type of work, which determines what the contractor must do by law, depends on whether the material is friable and how much area is disturbed, assessed on site. Removing non-friable asbestos-containing material without breaking or cutting it is a Type 1 operation. Breaking or cutting non-friable material using only non-powered hand-held tools with the material wetted is also Type 1. If the material is friable, or if power tools are used, the thresholds shift toward Type 2 or Type 3, and Type 3 brings a mandatory notice to a Ministry of Labour inspector before work begins, along with required training for every worker and supervisor. Section 12(5) of the regulation means the total area worked on consecutively in one area counts together, so splitting the job into smaller visits does not lower the classification.

Before any of that, Health Canada advises hiring a professional to test suspect material before renovating, and a qualified asbestos removal specialist if asbestos is found.

On waste: Ontario Regulation 347 requires that asbestos waste leave the site only to a disposal facility whose operator has agreed to accept it and has been told when it is coming. Ask the contractor which facility they have arranged.

A fair quote for siding removal should include the Type the contractor has assessed on site, the training and inspector notice if Type 3 applies, how the waste will be packaged and where it goes, and whether a clearance air test is included. You can also ask for a clearance air test in the quote even if the Type does not require one by law.

Before you sign, ask the contractor to confirm in writing which Type they have assessed and how they determined whether the material is friable.