Restricted area on an Alberta asbestos job, what does that mean?

What a Restricted Area Means on an Alberta Asbestos Job

Under the Alberta OHS Code, a restricted area is the part of a work site where there is a reasonable chance that airborne asbestos may exceed the occupational exposure limit. Where that applies, the Code's rules bind the employer and every worker on site, and they control who can enter, how they behave inside, and how they leave.

The Code's rules for a restricted area are specific. Only authorized persons may enter. The employer must post signs at every entry point so that nobody wanders in without knowing what the area contains. Inside, workers may not eat, drink or smoke. The employer must supply protective clothing, and workers must decontaminate before they leave the area, so fibres are not carried out on clothing or skin. These rules exist because the primary hazard is inhalation of airborne fibres, and the restricted area is the boundary that keeps that risk contained.

Every worker who enters a restricted area must have successfully completed a government-approved Alberta asbestos worker course. The course requires at least 14 net instructional hours, a written exam with a pass mark of 80 per cent, and a practical component. The card that comes from that course is valid for three years from the date of issue. If you are hiring a contractor, ask to see the original valid cards for every worker who will be inside the restricted area, not just the crew lead.

Before the restricted area is even set up, the employer is required by OHS Code section 36 to notify a Director at least 72 hours before beginning any activity that may release fibres. No minimum quantity triggers that requirement: it applies to any asbestos removal or abatement, and to any demolition or renovation of a building that contains asbestos. The notification is filed online through Alberta's asbestos portal. Nobody may begin the work until it has been submitted.

A few things worth asking a contractor before work starts:

• Has the 72-hour notification been filed, and can you see the confirmation?
• Will clearance air testing be done by a consultant independent of the abatement crew, and which lab will count the samples?
• How will waste be packaged and where will it go? For Calgary jobs, asbestos waste goes to Shepard landfill only, by appointment, with a permit.

Once the job is finished, keep a copy of the bulk-sample lab report that identified the material, the OHS notification confirmation, the air clearance letter with the fibre counts, and the Shepard landfill receipt showing the waste was accepted.

If you are looking for contractors who do this work in Calgary or the surrounding area, the request form on this page forwards your details to abatement contractors listed in the Calgary Construction Network directory.