Housing boom triggers raised asbestos exposure fears.
Crews demolishing Metro Vancouver’s older homes could be facing more exposure to deadly asbestos products as contractors try to cut corners amid the region’s ongoing housing boom, according to the agency that protects B.C.’s workers.
Al Johnson, vice-president of WorkSafeBC’s prevention services, said Canadian workers no longer come into contact with heavy amounts of the carcinogenic mineral substance, used extensively in many industries until the late 1970s.
But, those now levelling Metro Vancouver’s older houses – some of which have asbestos in linoleum and vinyl tiles, drywall and insulation – may still be breathing in a substance that could lead to severe health problems 20 to 40 years from now, he said.
“It’s very hard to quantify [the ongoing risk], but we recognize that this is an industry that doesn’t have a bar, if you will, to the extent of how demolition needs to be done,” Mr. Johnson said. “There are a huge number of demolition companies, some are very large and employ a number of workers and some of them are very, very small.
“In fact, we probably don’t even know some of those out there doing this work.”
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