Fifty years ago, asbestos was a miracle fibre that could make buildings—including some at this university—almost immune to fire. Since then, it’s been exposed as a deadly carcinogen that can kill people of any age.

Those thoughts were in the minds of Susan Lee and David Melleville when they came across a sticker on a wall in Sid Smith reading “Asbestos control project.” Above it was a gaping hole where a ceiling tile used to be.

Students postering in the building found the fallen tile on the fifth floor on Sunday. Ray deSousa, director of planning and infrastructure, says there’s no need to worry. “They tented the area, and bagged everything.”

The only problem is they didn’t do so until Monday afternoon.

Asbestos is sprayed onto the structure above the ceiling, and according to deSousa, “There is a very small potential for any asbestos to become airborne.”

U of T was organizing airborne tests yesterday.

Canadian Public Employees liaison officer Rob Hanks is worried. “[The university is] even admitting it in this memo [from deSousa]…it’s dangerous material which can kill people and there is a potential that it could become airborne.

“What are they doing? Is it a bandage operation or what? I have concerns about the whole building,” said Hanks. In fact, buildings all over U of T contain asbestos in walls and around piping.

David Gorman from U of T Environmental Health and Safety, said he didn’t think an airborne test was necessary because water around the area would soak up the asbestos and keep it from becoming airborne. “I don’t think it’s necessary at all, but we’ll do it to assure people.”

Gorman was still investigating, but said the university didn’t get to the incident sooner because an engineer was told that it took place on the fourth floor. While the engineer was not available for comment, Gorman indicated that he went to the fourth floor, saw nothing and left.

“[U of T] is not doing a very good job of policing such things,” said Hanks. U of T does not undergo provincial inspection for asbestos, but operates independently with the Asbestos Control Program guidelines. These say directors and buildings and grounds divisions of facilities and services have an obligation “to ensure damaged friable asbestos—containing material identified on work requests is promptly repaired.”

CUPE 3902 thinks U of T should be put back under regulated provincial inspection. “It’s a potential Walkerton situation,” said Hanks.

To find out more about asbestos prevention, go to www.utoronto.ca/safety.