Production and use of asbestos was at its highest in Canada in the 1970s and declined in the 1980s.
Due to health concerns, asbestos production and use has become a hot topic with governments in developed countries being accused of poisoning poorer countries that still use asbestos. Below are the Canadian abestos regulations by provinces and territories.
Alberta: ≥1%
Guidelines for the Disposal of Asbestos Waste – Env. Protection Services Alberta Environment August, 1989
British Columbia: ≥0.5% (excluding VAI), >0% (for VAI)
B.C. Reg. 296/97 Workers Compensation Act – OHS Regulation (incl. Amendments for Part 6: Substance Specific Requirements in the OH&S Regulation October 2011)
Manitoba: ≥0.1% for Friable Materials, ≥1% for Non-friable Materials
Workplace Safety and Health Act – Workplace Safety and Health Reg. 217/2006, October 31, 2006
New Brunswick: ≥1%
New Brunswick Reg. 92-106 under the Occupational Health and Safety Act
Newfoundland and Labrador: >1%
Newfoundland and Labrador Reg. 111/98 – Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 1998 under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (O.C. 98-730)
Northwest Territories: >1%
Guideline for Management of Waste Asbestos – Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Nova Scotia: ≥1% (current under review – expect Ontario-like definition)
Managing Asbestos in Buildings: Code of Practice Occupational Health and Safety Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Labour; 1% for Friable Waste Materials as per Asbestos Waste Management Regulations – Sec. 84 of the Environment Act – N.S. Reg. 53/95
Nunavut: >1%
Guideline: Management of Waste Asbestos – Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Protection Service
Ontario: ≥0.5%
Occupational Health and Safety Act – Ontario Reg. 278/05
Prince Edward Island: >1%
Occupational Health and Safety Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988
Quebec: ≥0.1%
Regulation Respecting the Quality of the Work Environment, RRQ, c S-2.1, r 11
Saskatchewan: ≥1%
The Occupational Health and Safety Reg., as amended by Saskatchewan Reg. 6/97, 35/2003, 112/2005, 67/2007, 91/2007, 109/2008, 18/2009 and 54/2009
Yukon: ≥1%
Chapter 159 Yukon Occupational Health and Safety Act
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