"<p>Foralis Environmental Inc. conducts all surveys under applicable regulations of the Workers<br>Compensation Board of British Columbia and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation: 20.112<br>regarding the handling, distribution, or removal of ACM hazardous building material assessments<br>by a qualified person.<br>Vijay retained Foralis Environmental Inc. to perform an inspection to extract samples, conduct<br>testing, and provide lab analysis data to identify and locate asbestos-containing materials before<br>renovation of this building structure.<br>The survey was completed by Krithik Dubey, Certified Building Inspector. Prior to the<br>performance of any work that may disturb asbestos-containing materials, it is a regulatory<br>requirement that a qualified person perform a risk Assessment. This is a requirement to comply<br>with the WorkSafe BC Occupational Health & Safety Regulation.<\/p>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<p>WHAT IS ASBESTOS?<br>Asbestos is a strong, fire-resistant mineral fiber. In the past, asbestos was used as insulation against heat<br>or noise and for fire protection. It was also added to materials such as cement and plaster to give them<br>more structural strength.<\/p>\r\n<p><br>DISEASES CAUSED BY ASBESTOS:<br>ASBESTOSIS: An irreversible lung condition, asbestosis results from the inhalation of asbestos fibers over<br>an extended period and progresses even after exposure to asbestos diseases. In cases of asbestosis, scar<br>tissue stiffens and distorts the lungs, making breathing progressively more difficult; as the blood supply to<br>the lungs becomes impaired, the heart is put under strain by the reduced efficiency of the lungs. The<br>thickening of the alveoli, the air sacs, caused by the action of the asbestos fibers reduces the uptake of<br>oxygen and the discharge of carbon dioxide. The higher the exposure, the greater the chances of<br>developing asbestosis and the shorter the time it takes. Asbestosis tends to be linked to heavy occupational<br>exposure although cases of asbestosis among those not occupationally exposed, such as residents who<br>lived near asbestos-using factories, have been known.<\/p>\r\n<p>LUNG CANCER: This asbestos disease can result from occupational or environmental asbestos exposure;<br>it is the predominant malignancy contracted by the asbestos exposed. There is a powerful synergistic<\/p>\r\n<p>interaction between asbestos exposure and cigarette smoking. If you set the lung cancer risk as 1 for a non-<br>smoker with no occupational asbestos exposure, the risk for an asbestos worker who did not smoke is 5<\/p>\r\n<p>times, for a smoker with no asbestos exposure it is 10 times and for a smoker who worked with asbestos it<br>is 55 times the background level.<br>MESOTHELIOMA: Once considered a rare tumor, Mesothelioma has become increasingly common. It is a<br>cancer that usually arises on the outer surface of the lung (pleura) but can also occur in the lining of the<br>abdominal cavity (peritoneum) and on rare occasions elsewhere. There is a consensus that the most<br>common causal agent of Mesothelioma is asbestos. Mesothelioma may occur in the absence of asbestosis<br>and can be associated with relatively low exposures to asbestos. It accounts for most victims who contract<br>asbestos-related disease through environmental exposure and is a notoriously aggressive cancer with no<br>known cure.<\/p>\r\n<p><br>Where Was Asbestos Used in Older Homes?<\/p>\r\n<p>Until the late 1980s, asbestos was incorporated into a wide array of building materials due to its fire-<br>resistant, insulating, and strengthening properties. Unfortunately, this resulted in potential exposure risks for<\/p>\r\n<p>occupants of older homes. While the use of asbestos has significantly declined, it's crucial to be aware of its<br>presence in homes built before the 1990\u2019s.<\/p>"