LCS Laboratory Inc., is an asbestos testing laboratory located in London, Ontario. We are pleased to answer any questions and to support your asbestos survey. Below we have assembled a few recommendations that might be useful when testing your home or business for asbestos.
Asbestos sampling, remediation, and the legal aspects of working with asbestos are defined by the Ontario Regulation 278/05 . In Ontario (Canada), Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) is defined as a material that contains 0.5% of asbestos or more. The purpose of an asbestos survey is to detect ACM in existing construction materials. From the beginning of the 20th century until 1980-1982, asbestos was regularly used in various forms of construction materials. It has been found in practically every older product with only two exceptions: we do not see asbestos in metal or in natural solid wood. All other materials may be ACM. We have even created a list of construction materials where we frequently find asbestos. You should collect samples of every material suspected to contain asbestos.
Two types of ACM studies can be performed:
- Comprehensive asbestos survey is performed on the entire property to create an inventory of contaminated materials. The survey is usually performed when all parts of the building are accessible for inspection, and the inspection doesn’t interfere with the day-to-day business activity. The results of such survey can be used either immediately or on an as-needed basis.
- Area specific asbestos survey is performed on a part of the property, either immediately before the renovation, or when a suspected ACM is reported by workers.
To begin, you need a floor plan where you can mark the locations from where the samples were captured, a notebook for your notes, pens, a permanent marker, a sufficient number of Ziploc bags, heavy duty utility knives, side cutters, personal protection equipment (asbestos grade respirator), and our laboratory’s Request for Analysis Form.
Some things to consider before you start:
- How large of a sample does laboratory need for analysis? For most of materials, we need about a gram for asbestos testing. Cut a small piece of the suspected material and place it in an individual Ziploc bag. Label it promptly with a marker. If you are testing vermiculite attic insulation, please send us a full Ziploc bag as a sample.
- How many samples of THE SAME MATERIAL should I test? According to the Ontario regulation, you should test 3 to 7 samples of the same material to prove that substance do not contain asbestos. Table #1 (below) from the reg 278/05 explains how to estimate the number of required samples for different surface areas.
TABLE 1 BULK MATERIAL SAMPLES, Subsection 3 (3)
| Item | Type of material | Size of area of homogeneous material | Minimum number of bulk material samples to be collected |
| 1. | Surfacing material, including without limitation material that is applied to surfaces by spraying, by troweling or otherwise, such as acoustical plaster on ceilings and fireproofing materials on structural members | Less than 90 square metres | 3 |
| 90 or more square metres, but less than 450 square metres | 5 | ||
| 450 or more square metres | 7 | ||
| 2. | Thermal insulation, except as described in item 3 | Any size | 3 |
| 3. | Thermal insulation patch | Less than 2 linear metres or 0.5 square metres | 1 |
| 4. | Other material | Any size | 3 |
Safety first: be sure that you wear a P100 or N100 type respirator when you take the samples.
A few tips on record keeping:
- Gently cut a small piece if material for testing. Try not to create a dust cloud.
- Have a record on the property name and address where the samples were collected.
- Make sure to record the sampling date and the name of the person who collected the samples (your name).
- Label each sample in accordance with the order of their collection. Example: Sample #1. Floor tile, Room 134
- Identify sub-samples using letters. Example: Sample #1a. East corner.
- Mark the location on the floor plan and record it in your notes.
- When the sampling is done, please complete a request form
- Ship the samples together with the request form to our lab.
Our laboratory tests thousands of samples every year and we find asbestos in 20% of all samples. We use a state of the art technique and vigorous QC programs to deliver the highest possible accuracy. The most difficult samples are analysed in duplicates by two independent analysts to deliver results of the highest accuracy. For pricing information or to find out how to collect your samples, please visit our web page: FAQ about Asbestos
When you receive our laboratory report, it will clearly identify the samples where asbestos is detected. Please email us to discuss your project.
