Designated Substance & Hazardous Materials Surveys
Asbestos, lead, mercury, silica, PCBs and mould identified before demolition, renovation or tender, as Ontario’s OHSA requires.
Designated Substance & Hazardous Materials Surveys in Ottawa and across Ontario
Under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, a building owner must identify the designated substances present before a project is tendered, and give that list to prospective contractors. We inspect the building, take bulk samples of suspect materials, and have them analysed by an accredited laboratory. You receive a clear report of what is present, where, in what condition and in what quantity, so contractors can price the work accurately and protect their workers.
When you need it
- Before tendering any demolition or renovation work
- Buying an older building and needing to budget for hazardous materials
- Building condition assessments and capital planning
- Preparing an asbestos management program for an occupied building
What you receive
- Designated Substance Report (DSR) for tender documents
- Hazardous building materials inventory with photos, locations and quantities
- Asbestos and lead sampling with accredited laboratory analysis
- Asbestos management plans and annual re-inspections
Used at: Buying & Financing a Site · Approvals & Site Preparation
What this covers
- Designated Substance Surveys (O. Reg. 490/09)
- Asbestos surveys (O. Reg. 278/05)
- Lead paint sampling
- Silica, mercury and PCB identification
- Ozone-depleting substances
- Mould inspection
- Asbestos management plans
- Pre-demolition surveys
Designated Substance & Hazardous Materials Surveys questions
Do we need a designated substance survey for a small renovation?
If the work could disturb building materials, yes. The OHSA requirement applies to construction projects generally, not only large demolitions. A focused survey of just the work area is often enough for small projects.
Our building has an old survey. Can we reuse it?
Sometimes. If the survey covered the areas you are working in and conditions have not changed, we can review and update it instead of starting over.
Other services
- Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
- Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
- Phase III Delineation & Remediation
- Record of Site Condition (RSC)
- Excess Soil Management
- Groundwater, Water Contamination & Dewatering
- Abatement Specifications & Construction Monitoring
- Indoor Air Quality, Mould & Radon
- Drinking Water & Legionella
- Planning & Approval Studies
- Environmental Compliance & Permitting
Have a site or building to assess?
Send us the address and what you are trying to do: buy, finance, rezone, build or renovate. We’ll tell you what you need and send a clear scope and quote.