‘Members have a right to a safe, healthy workplace’
The Association of Justice Counsel (AJC) is seeking urgent information and action after Quebec’s workplace health and safety regulator linked asbestos exposure at Montréal’s Guy-Favreau Complex to a serious health condition in a federal Justice employee.
In a statement dated March 25, 2026, the AJC said it was advised on March 24 by the employer that the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) “has identified that an asbestos exposure at the Guy-Favreau Complex in Montréal is related to a serious health condition affecting a Justice employee who worked in the Complex.”
AJC members employed by Justice Canada, the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada work in the multi-tenant complex.
Canada Labour Code investigation under way
An investigation required under the Canada Labour Code is now under way. The AJC said local health and safety committees have been notified and will participate in the process.
“Members have a right to a safe, healthy workplace – and your union has taken immediate steps to ensure the employer is accountable,” the AJC said. “We have requested information on an urgent basis to understand key facts relating to asbestos and safety at the Guy-Favreau Complex, as well as the overall circumstances that led to the CNESST’s determination.”
The union said its “focus remains on members’ health and safety,” adding that, “Information will be shared as soon as possible, and we will continue to advocate for strong measures to make federal workplaces safe and sanitary.”
Support, accommodations and OHS contacts
The AJC acknowledged the impact of the development on employees who work in the building. “This may be a stressful time for AJC members who work in the Guy-Favreau Complex,” it said.
The union urged members who have “specific concerns about health and safety conditions in your workplace, or if you require accommodation to work from home due to the unfolding situation at Guy-Favreau,” to contact the AJC. It also encouraged members to reach out to their local health and safety committee and occupational health and safety programs.
Asbestos hazards in older federal workplaces
In background information, the AJC described asbestos as “a group of fibrous minerals historically used to make certain products durable and fire-resistant.” Asbestos products “were used in Canada prior to 1990 for fireproofing and to insulate commercial buildings and homes against cold weather and noise,” the union said.
According to the AJC, asbestos “can still be found in older building materials such as insulation, siding and roofing products, floor and ceiling tiles, cement and plaster, or in industrial furnaces and heating systems.”
The union noted that, over time, “asbestos fibres can become brittle, flake and deteriorate,” and fibres can become airborne if materials “have been exposed to water and disturbed, subjected to abrasive procedures such as sanding or scraping, or during improper maintenance or removal processes such as during renovations.” It added that “asbestos exposure can occur if containment or abatement measures are inadequate.”
The AJC said airborne asbestos fibres are “microscopic, barbed particles” that “can embed and remain deep in lung tissue and other internal organs.”
Citing the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the union said asbestos is a known carcinogen and that “there is no evidence of a safe level of exposure to asbestos fibres.” Reported health effects include mesothelioma, lung, laryngeal and ovarian cancer, and asbestosis, with impacts that “can take decades to develop after exposure,” the AJC stated.
Health risks, control strategies for asbestos
The human health effects from long-term unsafe asbestos exposure are well documented, notes the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).
“Asbestos fibres are easily inhaled and carried into the lower regions of the lung where they can cause fibrotic lung disease (asbestosis) and changes in the lining of the chest cavity (pleura). These diseases can lead to reduced respiratory function and death. Long-term inhalation of asbestos fibres also increases the risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma,” the government agency says.
“Enlargement of the heart can also occur as an indirect effect from the increased resistance of blood flow through the lungs.”
According to the agency, a control program is necessary when handling, removing or disturbing asbestos-containing materials (ACM), or when the presence of ACM is suspected or confirmed in the workplace.
In general, the control plan should address:
- Containment of asbestos operations.
- Location, type, friability (how easily it crumbles), and condition of ACM in the workplace.
- Controlling of the release of asbestos fibres.
- Reporting procedures for suspected ACM.
- The engineering controls, work practices, hygiene practices and facilities necessary to control the exposure of a worker to asbestos.
- Providing workers with task-specific work instructions that address both the hazards and the necessary controls.
- Providing, using and maintaining appropriate personal protective equipment and clothing.
- The methods and procedures needed to monitor the concentration of airborne asbestos and the exposure of a worker.
- The methods needed to decontaminate workers’ clothes, etc.
- The removal and cleanup of asbestos waste and related material.
