Asbestos abatement · Metro Vancouver & Fraser Valley
Asbestos abatement for occupied facilities
Bowfinn removes asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in schools, healthcare, commercial and strata buildings, including buildings where other areas stay occupied. Work is done to WorkSafeBC regulations, and our asbestos abatement crews are trained and certified. The work area is cleared, isolated and contained, the sequence and timing are planned with you to limit disruption, and the work is closed out with a written report.
Tell us the building, the work you're planning and your timeline. We aim to respond promptly.
- Occupied facilitiesContained work areas, phasing planned with you to limit disruption
- UA Local 170Signatory contractor
- Trained and certified crewsOn every asbestos abatement job
- InsuredInsurance certificates available on request.
When you need this
- A hazardous materials survey has found ACMs in the area you plan to renovate, repair or demolish
- A mechanical, plumbing, sprinkler or electrical scope needs pipe wrap, boiler insulation or ceiling materials cleared first
- Your city needs a clearance letter or post-abatement report before it issues or closes a permit
- Asbestos in your inventory is damaged and has to be removed, enclosed or encapsulated
Materials we remove
- Pipe and fitting insulation, boiler and tank insulation
- Mechanical and service-room materials, including gaskets
- Drywall joint compound, plaster and textured coatings
- Floor tiles, sheet flooring and mastics
- Ceiling tiles and sprayed materials
- Other ACMs identified in your survey
List limited to material types Bowfinn routinely removes
Process
How the work runs
Survey review
We read your hazardous materials survey and walk the area to confirm quantities, access and risk level.
Plan and Notice of Project
Containment, phasing and schedule are planned with you to limit disruption, and the WorkSafeBC Notice of Project is filed at least 48 hours before moderate- or high-risk work.
Containment
Restricted, signed work areas; for high-risk work, negative-pressure enclosures with HEPA-filtered exhaust and a decontamination unit.
Removal
Wet methods, HEPA vacuums and sealed, labelled waste containers, with air sampling by the owner's independent hazmat consultant as the work requires.
Clearance
For high-risk work, the owner's independent hazmat consultant carries out clearance air testing inside the enclosure before it is dismantled and confirms it in writing; we build clearance into the schedule.
Closeout report
Scope summary, air results from your hazmat consultant (as needed), waste manifests and worker certifications in one document for your records.
Occupied facilities
How we keep disruption low
The area being worked on is cleared, isolated and contained until the work is finished and cleared. We plan the sequence, phasing and timing with you, including night and weekend shifts, so the rest of the facility is disrupted as little as possible.
Phasing
Work split into areas and sequences planned with you, so less of the building is affected at any one time.
Negative air
High-risk enclosures under negative pressure with HEPA-filtered exhaust, so air flows into the work area, not out of it.
After-hours work
Night and weekend shifts where they reduce disruption
Cleared, restricted work areas
The work area is cleared and closed off, with signs and controlled routes for crews and waste, until the work is finished and cleared.
Occupant notices
Plain-language notices for staff, students, patients or residents
Trade coordination
Clearance planned into the schedule so the mechanical, plumbing, sprinkler and electrical trades behind us are not held up.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bowfinn hold a WorkSafeBC Asbestos Abatement Licence?
Yes. Bowfinn Management Inc. is licensed by WorkSafeBC for asbestos abatement. The licence covers asbestos only; we also handle lead and other hazardous materials under the OHS Regulation requirements for each material. You can confirm any contractor's status in WorkSafeBC's Asbestos Abatement Licence Registry, which shows whether a licence is Issued, Expired, Cancelled, Suspended or Refused.
Is a licence legally required for asbestos abatement in BC?
Yes, since January 1, 2024, for employers offering asbestos abatement services to others in relation to buildings. Workers doing the work must also be trained and certified (WorkSafeBC). Owners and prime contractors must confirm the licence before work starts (OHS Regulation s. 6.2.3).
What counts as asbestos-containing material in BC?
Material that tests at 0.5% asbestos or more by specified lab methods, or vermiculite insulation containing any asbestos. That is the definition in OHS Regulation s. 6.1.
Where is asbestos found in older buildings?
Commonly in drywall and joint compound, plaster and stucco, floor and ceiling tiles, roofing products, caulking and sealants, and pipe, boiler and tank insulation. Health Canada notes that before 1990 asbestos was mainly used to insulate buildings and for fireproofing.
Do I need a survey before you can quote abatement?
Usually yes. A qualified person must inspect for hazardous materials before demolition, salvage or renovation begins, and the written report is the basis for scope and pricing (OHS Regulation s. 20.112). Bowfinn works with the owner’s independent hazmat consultant, who handles surveys, sampling and clearance air testing; we coordinate with them and build clearance into the schedule.
Who files the WorkSafeBC Notice of Project?
The responsible employers and either the owner or the prime contractor must ensure WorkSafeBC receives it at least 48 hours before moderate- or high-risk asbestos work begins (s. 20.2.1).
How do you know the area is clean when you finish?
For high-risk work, clearance air sampling must show no more than 0.02 fibres per millilitre inside the containment before it is dismantled (s. 6.12(4)). A qualified person then confirms in writing that the identified materials were safely contained or removed (s. 20.112(8)).
What happens to the asbestos waste?
It goes to an authorized landfill in sealed, labelled containers. Friable waste asbestos is hazardous waste in BC, so loads over 5 kg generally need a licensed transporter and manifest (BC Government). Metro Vancouver's recycling and waste centres do not accept it (Metro Vancouver).
Can asbestos be left in place instead of removed?
Sometimes. Friable asbestos must be controlled by removal, enclosure or encapsulation (s. 6.7), and Health Canada says undisturbed asbestos in good condition poses no significant risk. Material that renovation or demolition would disturb must be contained or removed first (s. 20.112(7)).
Where do you work?
Bowfinn is based in New Westminster and serves Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. See our service areas.
General information, not legal advice. Requirements depend on your project; confirm with WorkSafeBC, your municipality or a qualified professional.
Planning work in an older building?
Book a Site Consultation and we'll walk the scope, the schedule and the building with you.
Prefer email? admin@bowfinn.com