ASBESTOS TESTING
If your building went up before the 1990s, the ceiling texture, drywall mud, flooring, or insulation may contain asbestos. We take samples, send them to an independent lab in North Vancouver, and give you a written result you can hand to your permit office or your contractor.
Why people book this
1 / Somebody asked for a report
Most people are not here because they are worried. They are here because a permit, a contractor, or a lender asked for one.
2 / The regulation asks for an assessment
In BC a qualified person has to assess the risk before any demolition, alteration, or repair where asbestos may be disturbed. That is section 6.6 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
3 / The North Shore has a second gate
The City of North Vancouver requires a Hazardous Material Assessment Report before it issues approval to proceed on a demolition permit. The District of North Vancouver requires a survey by a qualified person before demolition or renovation begins.
How testing works
What we sample
1 / Ceiling texture and joint compound
Stipple ceilings, texture coat, and the mud in the joints. This is drywall work, which is what we do every day.
2 / Flooring and insulation
Vinyl tile, sheet flooring, and the glue under it. Vermiculite in the attic counts at any detectable amount, not the 0.5 percent threshold.
3 / You cannot tell by looking
WorkSafeBC puts it plainly. Never assume a building material is free of asbestos. You cannot tell just by looking at it.
Who does the work
Odel Philip, WorkSafeBC-certified asbestos surveyor
Certificate ASB-10006114, issued under the WorkSafeBC asbestos certification programme. Odel is a drywall contractor first, so the ceiling texture and joint compound being sampled are the same materials he hangs and finishes on the North Shore. We test. We do not do asbestos remediation or removal.
