Designated Substance Survey
At The Healthy Abode Inc. we perform Designated Substance Reports for homeowners, general contractors, design / architect and engineering firms, and demolition contractors in compliance with Ontario Regulation 490/09 and Ontario Regulation 278/05. We are fully insured and WSIB compliant.
Our Designated Substance Surveys are Ministry of Labour compliant. We are able to get you your final designated substance report in as little as 1 business day.
Call for an estimate, 416-901-7527.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA), ONTARIO REGULATION 490/09 DESIGNATED SUBSTANCES (O. Reg. 490/09), allows for certain toxic substances to be especially designated. This means that specific regulations have been constructed for the control of these substances. There are eleven (11) designated substances:
- Acrylonitrile O. Reg. 835
- Arsenic O. Reg. 836
- Asbestos O. Reg. 278
- Benzene O. Reg. 839
- Coke Oven Emissions O. Reg. 840
- Ethylene Oxide O. Reg. 841
- Isocyanates O. Reg. 842
- Lead O. Reg. 843
- Mercury O. Reg. 844
- Silica O. Reg. 845
- Vinyl Chloride O. Reg. 846
Accordingly, each Designated Substance Regulation outlines the amount of the substance that a worker can be exposed to, ways to control the substance, personal protective equipment required and other safety measures, and ways to measure the substance in a specific environment.
Five (5) of the eleven (11) Designated Substances are likely to be found on a residential construction site, namely asbestos, lead, silica, benzene and mercury.
Section 30 of the OHSA deals with the presence of designated substances on construction projects. Since silica, asbestos, lead, benzene and mercury are designated substances (O. Reg. 490/09), compliance with OHSA and its Regulations requires the owner of a property to determine if silica, asbestos, mercury, benzene and/or lead is present on a project through a designated substance survey and, if it is, to so inform all potential contractors / trades as part of the bidding process. In a similar way, contractors who receive this information are to pass it onto other contractors and subcontractors who are bidding for work on the project. If the owner or any contractor fails to comply with this requirement, whey will be liable of any loss or damages that result from a contractor or trade subsequently discovering that a designated substance is present.
Additionally, the OHSA sets out, in very general terms, the duties of employers and others to protect workers from health and safety hazards on the job. These duties include:
- taking all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of workers [clause 25(2)(h)]
- ensuring that equipment, materials and protective equipment are maintained in good condition [clause 25(1)(b)]
- providing information, instruction and supervision to protect worker health and safety [clause 25(2)(a)]
- acquainting a worker or a person in authority over a worker with any hazard in the work and in the handling, storage, use, disposal and transport of any article, device, equipment or a biological, chemical or physical agent [clause 25(2)(d)]
A Designated Substance Survey includes a visual inspection (walk-through) of the site, to identify the readily-accessible areas for the presence of designated substances used in building and construction materials. Accordingly, we assess the type, characteristics and condition of the building materials and when necessary, samples of certain materials will be collected for subsequent laboratory analysis.
The result is a Designated Substance Survey (Assessment Report) that outlines materials of concern on the job site, lab analysis and results of materials tested, overall discussion of the materials (types, locations) found in the job site and conclusions/recommendations made according to these observations and testing.
Some Designated Substance Surveys will also include inspections for other Hazardous Materials. Depending on the Scope of the Project, the site and the building itself, this may or may not be necessary. Other Hazardous Materials include:
- Mold (Mould)
- Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
- Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODSs)
- Radon
- Electromagnetic Radiation
- Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation (UFFI)