Asbestos had been extensively utilized within the Canadian construction industry until the 1980s. With subsequent regulations, various provinces incorporated specific limits for asbestos-containing materials (ACM) into their legislation. Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec adopted the most stringent criteria, classifying materials containing asbestos concentrations as low as 0.1% as hazardous ACM. Conversely, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan regulate ACM with asbestos content of 0.5% and above. The remaining territories and provinces have established a threshold for ACM at 1%.
We have compiled a table outlining the regulated asbestos limits across Canada, and a similar set of information (with minor adjustments) can be accessed on the EMSL Alberta website.
| Province | Lowest Regulated Asbestos Concentration in old construction materials | Lowest Regulated Concentration of Asbestos in Vermiculate | Regulation |
| Alberta | Any Detectable | Any Detectable | OHS Code of Practice, Alberta Abatement Manual (Oct 2012) |
| British Columbia | 0.5% | Any Detectable | B.C. Reg. 296/97 Workers’ Compensation Board |
| Manitoba | 0.1% for friable
1% for non-friable |
0.1% as a friable material | Workplace Safety and Health Act – Workplace Safety and Health Reg. 217/2006, October 31, 2006 |
| New Brunswick | 1% | 1% No separate requirements | New Brunswick Reg. 92-106 under the Occupational Health and Safety Act |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 1% | 1% No separate requirements | Newfoundland and Labrador Reg. 111/98 – Asbestos Abatement Regulations, 1998 under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (O.C. 98-730) |
| Northwest Territories
|
1% | 1% No separate requirements | Guideline for Management of Waste Asbestos – Department of Environment and Natural Resources |
| Nova Scotia
|
0.5% | Any Detectable | Asbestos in the Workplace: A Guide to Removal of Friable Asbestos Containing Material (2013); |
| Nunavut
|
1% | 1% No separate requirements | Guideline: Management of Waste Asbestos – Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Protection Service |
| Ontario | 0.5% | 0.5% No separate requirements | O. Reg. 278/05: DESIGNATED SUBSTANCE – ASBESTOS ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND IN BUILDINGS AND REPAIR OPERATIONS |
| Prince Edward Island | 1% | 1% No separate requirements | Occupational Health and Safety Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988 |
| Quebec | 0.1% | 0.1% No separate requirements | Regulation Respecting the Quality of the Work Environment, RRQ, c S-2.1, r 11 |
| Saskatchewan | 0.5% for friable
1% for nonfriable |
Any Detectable | The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 Chapter S-15.1 Reg 10 (effective April 1, 2021) as amended by Saskatchewan Regulations 31/2021 |
| Yukon | 1% | 1% No separate requirements | Chapter 159 Yukon Occupational Health and Safety Act |
The table was assembled by LCS Laboratory in December 2023. It’s important to note that regulations are subject to frequent updates. We rely on your support and strongly recommend all users verify these limits by consulting provincial regulations directly. Should you identify any errors or discrepancies in the provided table, please forward the correct information along with a reference to the current law, and we will promptly update this webpage.
For those seeking to test their samples for asbestos, please visit our asbestos submission page.
