Asbestos Management Program

The University is committed to maintaining a safe work and study environment for faculty, staff, students, visitors, and contractors. It is the policy of the University to maintain all asbestos containing materials (ACM) in a safe condition during normal building operations and have all maintenance, repair or renovation work undertaken using appropriate procedures. To support this, the University has established an Asbestos Management Program.  

Asbestos is a general term given to a group of naturally occurring mineral silicates that are characterized by long, thin fibres that can easily be separated. ACM were commonly used up until the mid-1980s in a wide range of products in construction and industry due to their unique properties which include heat resistance, chemical resistance, and heat and electrical insulation.  

Since then, the use of asbestos products has undergone a continuous decline because of concerns regarding the health effects associated with exposure and a new legislative landscape. However, many University buildings constructed or renovated during these times still contain some form of ACM. These materials can include but are not limited to, thermal insulation used as lagging for heaters, boilers, pipes, and hot water, acoustic or decorative finishes on ceilings and walls, vinyl floor tiles or vinyl sheet flooring, electric insulation etc. 

The mere presence of ACM in buildings does not constitute a hazard or unacceptable risk to health. However, these materials can present a significant degree of risk to workers and building occupants when maintenance, repair or renovation work has the potential to disturb ACM and proper asbestos-related precautions are not followed. Stringent procedures must be followed to reduce the risk to employees and to building occupants during asbestos work. 

An asbestos inventory (the Hazardous Materials Inventory System) has been prepared for each University building which contains asbestos materials. An overview of the asbestos inventory, Summary of Buildings with Asbestos Containing Materials, is available for the University of Guelph Community. The inventory identifies those materials that are confirmed or suspected to contain asbestos, the type of asbestos and the location. 

U of G building occupants are reminded; 

  • Do not damage, disturb or remove any materials that may be asbestos containing. 

  • Do not to make changes to their workspace on their own should there be asbestos-containing materials or other hazardous materials present.  

  • Proper procedures must be followed and done by qualified/trained employees or contractors when making changes that may disturb building materials, including drilling holes to hang pictures, boards, monitor arms or installing lab equipment etc. For the Guelph Campus, a request should be submitted to the Physical Resources Work Order Desk and for Ridgetown Campus, the work should be referred to the Manager, Physical Plant. 

  • Promptly report damaged asbestos containing materials for example, pipe insulations, ceiling, or floor tiles etc. to your Supervisor or other University person of authority. 

Refer to the documents below for further information or contact the Asbestos Coordinator at asbestos@uoguelph.ca for questions related to the Asbestos Management Program or the Hazardous Materials Inventory System (asbestos inventory). 

FAQs: 

University of Guelph - Asbestos FAQs

Program:

Asbestos Management Program

Supporting Documents:

Appendix A – Tenant of Leased Space- Notification of the Presence of Asbestos Containing Materials (Sample Letter)

Appendix B – Asbestos Sampling Notice (Form)

Appendix C – Asbestos Abatement Notice (Form) (Updated 03/21/2022)

Appendix D – Collection of Bulk Material Samples (Table)

Appendix E – Bulk Sample Collection Procedure (Procedure)

Appendix F- Re-Inspection of Asbestos Containing Material (Form)

Appendix G - Notification to Maintenance Contractors (Sample Letter)

Appendix H - Standard Operating Procedures for Type 1 Operations

Appendix I – Asbestos Abatement Contractor Checklist

Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Control of Asbestos Fibers During Type 1 Operations

SOP 1.10:  The Removal of Less than 7.5 square meters of Asbestos Containing Ceiling Tiles (Intact)

SOP 1.11: The Removal of Non-Friable, Asbestos-Containing Material, Other than Ceiling Tiles (Intact)

SOP 1.12: Breaking, Cutting, Drilling, Abrading, Grinding, Sanding or Vibrating Non-Friable Asbestos-Containing Material (Includes Wetting and Only Non-Powered, Hand-Held Tools)

SOP 1.13: The Removal of Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles (Involves Breaking) (Includes Wetting and Only Non-Powered, Hand-Held Tools)

SOP 1.20: The Removal of Less Than One Square Meter of Drywall in which Asbestos-Containing, Joint-Filling Compounds Have Been Used

SOP 2.05: Asbestos-containing Vermiculite in Masonry Wall Cavities