Waste handling, transport and disposal

Asbestos does not stop being dangerous when it is removed. Waste bags that tear, debris left in a dumpster, or loose material dropped from a truck can expose waste handlers, drivers, landfill workers and the public. Asbestos waste is controlled from the moment it is created until it is buried, through a chain of steps: wetting, packaging, labelling, temporary storage, transport and disposal at an approved site, with records at each stage. This lesson explains each step and the rules that govern it.

What counts as asbestos waste

Asbestos waste includes the asbestos-containing material removed, debris and dust collected during clean-up, used polyethylene sheeting, disposable coveralls, gloves, footwear covers and respirator filters, used HEPA filters from vacuums and negative air units, glove bags, and contaminated items that cannot be cleaned. Water used for wetting and showering is filtered before it is discharged, and the filters become asbestos waste. Some non-friable materials removed intact, such as asbestos-cement products, may be handled under different rules in some jurisdictions, but they must still be kept intact and controlled.

Asbestos waste is regulated by provincial environmental laws, municipal bylaws and landfill requirements, and its transport is regulated by the federal Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations. In Ontario, asbestos waste is governed by the general waste management regulation, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 347, as well as by the packaging and handling requirements of O. Reg. 278/05. BC regulates asbestos waste under its Hazardous Waste Regulation, and other provinces have similar rules. Requirements differ, so check the rules in the province and municipality where the waste is generated and disposed of.

Packaging

The basic principle is to keep waste wet and sealed so that fibres cannot escape. Typical requirements and good practice include:

• Wet the waste before packaging, unless wetting would create another hazard.

• Use dust-tight containers. Heavy polyethylene bags, commonly 6-mil (0.15 mm), are used for most waste, and many specifications and provincial rules call for double bagging, with the inner bag sealed before it is placed in the outer bag. Drums or lined bins are used for sharp or heavy material.

• Do not overfill. Fill bags only partly so that they can be sealed by twisting and taping the neck and lifted without tearing.

• Remove air carefully. Use a HEPA vacuum to collapse a bag before sealing it, never by squeezing it against a worker's body.

• Wrap large items. Pipes, panels and sheets that will not fit in bags are wrapped in two layers of polyethylene sheeting and sealed.

• Clean the outside of each bag with damp wipes or a HEPA vacuum before it leaves the work area.

Labelling

Containers of asbestos waste must be labelled so that anyone who handles them knows the hazard. Ontario's regulation requires asbestos waste to be placed in dust-tight containers labelled as containing asbestos, with a statement that asbestos dust is a hazard. TDG rules add Class 9 safety marks, the UN number and shipping name when waste is transported as dangerous goods, unless an exemption applies.

Temporary storage on site

Waste should leave the work area promptly and be stored in a secure, lockable container, such as a lined, covered bin or a closed trailer, until it is collected. The container should be clearly marked, kept locked when not being loaded, and placed where it cannot be damaged by vehicles. Torn bags must be repaired immediately by placing them in a new bag. Asbestos waste must never be placed in general construction waste bins, where it will be crushed, broken and sent to a landfill or recycling site that is not prepared for it.

Transport

Transport of asbestos waste on public roads is regulated as the transportation of dangerous goods. Under the TDG Regulations, asbestos is listed as UN2212, asbestos, amphibole, and UN2590, asbestos, chrysotile, both in Class 9. The regulations include special provisions and exemptions, for example for asbestos immersed or fixed in a binder so that fibres cannot escape, and for small quantities. Where TDG applies, the consignor must prepare shipping documents, display safety marks and ensure workers handling the shipment are trained. Provinces may also require a waste manifest or a registered hauler, and the vehicle should be enclosed or covered so that bags cannot fall out or be damaged. Drivers should carry instructions for what to do if a bag breaks.

Disposal

Asbestos waste must go to a landfill or disposal site that is approved to accept it. Approved sites have procedures to receive asbestos without breaking the containers, place it in designated areas, and cover it promptly with soil or other material so that no fibres can escape. Many landfills require advance notice or an appointment for asbestos loads, and some municipal landfills do not accept asbestos at all. Asbestos waste must never be recycled, burned or dumped. Keep the receipt or manifest from the disposal site as proof of proper disposal.

Notification and records

Records prove that waste went where it should. Keep records of the quantity of waste, the dates of removal and transport, the hauler, shipping documents and disposal receipts. In Ontario, the notification requirements for Type 3 operations and larger glove bag removals described in Lesson 4 are made to the Ministry of Labour before work starts, while waste generator registration and manifest requirements under the environmental regulations apply to some waste streams and quantities; check whether your project needs them. BC and other provinces have their own notification and manifest rules.

# Waste planning for a removal project (illustrative bag capacity)
import math

materials = {               # material: (quantity, unit, bags per unit)
    "pipe lagging":        (85,  "linear m", 1 / 3.0),    # about 3 m of lagging per bag
    "sprayed fireproofing": (140, "m2",       1 / 2.5),    # about 2.5 m2 per bag at 25 mm thick
    "poly sheeting and PPE": (1,  "project",  40),
}
total = 0
for name, (qty, unit, per) in materials.items():
    bags = math.ceil(qty * per)
    total += bags
    print(f"{name:22s} {qty:5} {unit:9s} -> {bags:3d} bags")
print(f"total bags (each double bagged): {total}; inner plus outer bags to order: {2 * total}")
print(f"with 10 % spare: {math.ceil(2 * total * 1.1)} bags")

pipe lagging              85 linear m  ->  29 bags
sprayed fireproofing     140 m2        ->  56 bags
poly sheeting and PPE      1 project   ->  40 bags
total bags (each double bagged): 125; inner plus outer bags to order: 250
with 10 % spare: 275 bags

Planning waste quantities before the job avoids running out of bags, overfilling them or leaving waste unbagged. The capacities in the script are illustrative; actual capacity depends on the material, its thickness and the bag size.

Spills and damaged containers

If a bag tears or a container is damaged during handling or transport, stop, keep people away, wet the spilled material if it is safe to do so, put on the appropriate respirator and protective clothing, collect the material and the damaged bag into new bags, clean the area with a HEPA vacuum or wet methods, and report the incident. On public roads, follow the emergency instructions in the shipping documents and notify the authorities required by transport and environmental rules.

Special cases

Some asbestos wastes need particular care:

• Asbestos-cement pipe. Buried water and sewer pipe removed during repairs should be removed in sections by snapping or cutting with wetted hand tools or a pipe cutter, not with abrasive saws, and wrapped in polyethylene for disposal. Pipe left in the ground may be abandoned in place where rules allow.

• Vermiculite. Loose vermiculite is removed by trained workers using HEPA vacuum systems inside an enclosure, never dug out dry with shovels; the vacuum waste is bagged as asbestos waste.

• Contaminated soil and debris. Soil contaminated with asbestos debris, for example after an uncontrolled demolition, is kept wet, covered and removed as asbestos waste or managed under a site remediation plan.

• Water. Shower and wetting water is filtered, commonly to 5 micrometres or finer, before discharge, and the used filters are disposed of as asbestos waste.

• Small quantities from homeowners. Many municipalities have rules or depots for small amounts of asbestos waste from homes; contractors working in homes must follow the same packaging and disposal rules as on commercial jobs.

Choosing a hauler and disposal site

Before removal begins, confirm in writing that a hauler and an approved disposal site will accept the waste, what packaging and paperwork they require, whether appointments are needed, and the cost. Some landfills accept asbestos only on certain days or in limited quantities, and remote sites may have no approved landfill nearby, which affects schedules and budgets. Disposal costs are a real part of the project and should be estimated with the quantities in the work plan.

Waste that cannot be disposed of promptly must stay secured on site, which adds risk and cost. Arranging disposal before the first bag is filled is part of good planning.

Who handles the waste

Every person in the waste chain needs to know what they are handling. Workers who bag and carry waste inside the work area wear the same respirators and protective clothing as the removal crew. Workers who move sealed, cleaned bags from the load-out to the storage bin need training in what the labels mean, how to lift bags without tearing them, and what to do if a bag breaks. Drivers need the shipping documents, the emergency instructions and the contact numbers for the project. Landfill staff need advance notice so that they can prepare a cell and cover the waste promptly. A break in this chain, such as a labourer who does not know why the bags matter, is how sealed waste ends up torn open in a general bin.