Does the size of the drywall area change the asbestos rules for crews in Ottawa?

Yes, the area of drywall being removed changes how Ontario's asbestos regulation classifies the work for a contractor's crew.

O. Reg. 278/05 sets out two categories that apply here. Type 1 covers removing less than one square metre of drywall in which asbestos-containing joint-filling compounds have been used. Type 2 covers removing one square metre or more of such drywall. The area counts consecutively in a room or enclosed area, even if the work is divided into smaller jobs on separate days.

One boundary matters for how you read those categories: O. Reg. 278/05 does not apply to an owner of a private residence occupied by the owner or the owner's family, or to an owner of a building of not more than four dwelling units where one unit is occupied by the registered owner or family. Its Type 1 and Type 2 categories classify the work a contractor's workers do; they are not rules for a homeowner doing their own work, and Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act does not apply to work an owner does on their own home. That said, Health Canada advises hiring a professional to test for asbestos before any renovation in a house built before 1990, regardless of the area involved, because cutting, sanding or scraping releases fibres. If a test comes back positive, that is abatement work; ottawaabatement.com covers that side of things.

For a hired crew, tell the contractor the age of the house and any test results before they start, and ask how the removal area will be measured under the regulation.

The next step is to get a sample of the drywall compound tested by a qualified professional before any cutting or removal begins, so the contractor has a confirmed result in hand on day one.