Safe way to leave a room after disturbing possible asbestos in Calgary?

If you have already disturbed material that may contain asbestos, stop the work immediately, leave the area, and do not go back in.

Close the door behind you if there is one. Keep everyone else out of the space, including pets. Do not sweep, vacuum or wipe any dust or debris.

Once you are out, the next step is testing, not cleaning. In a home built before 1990, Alberta OHS bulletin ASB004 names drywall mud, plaster, ceiling tiles and vinyl flooring among materials that may contain asbestos, and the Alberta Asbestos Abatement Manual adds stipple and acoustic finishes. The only way to know whether the material you disturbed contains asbestos is to have a bulk sample analysed by polarized light microscopy in a lab. Published Calgary-area prices for bulk sample testing run roughly $65 to $145 per sample, with packages of several samples costing less per sample. Do not re-enter the room to collect samples yourself. A qualified contractor can take samples safely.

If testing confirms asbestos-containing material, the Alberta OHS Code requires any employer carrying out removal or abatement to file a notification with a Director at least 72 hours before work begins that may release fibres. That notification is filed online through Alberta's asbestos portal. Every worker who enters an asbestos restricted area must hold a current government-approved Alberta asbestos worker card, issued after a course of at least 14 net instructional hours and a written exam with a pass mark of 80 per cent. The OHS Code also requires waste to be stored and transported in sealed, impervious, labelled containers. In Calgary, asbestos waste goes to Shepard landfill only, by appointment, with a permit from the City, and loads must be wetted, double-bagged in 6-mil polyethylene and sealed before transport.

Health Canada's advice is direct: do not disturb asbestos-containing material and do not attempt to remove it yourself. Alberta Environment's guidance says to restrict handling of friable asbestos-containing materials to qualified personnel. For now, the safest position is to leave the room sealed and get a contractor in to assess and sample it before anyone re-enters.

Before you hire anyone for this job, ask them directly: has the 72-hour OHS notification been filed for this project, can each worker entering the area show you their valid asbestos worker card, and will the clearance air testing after the work be done by a consultant independent of the abatement crew?

For the sampling itself, the form on this page reaches abatement contractors in the Calgary Construction Network directory.