Are low-odour coatings safer for an Ottawa clinic?

"Low-odour" is a marketing description, not a safety classification. Whether a coating is safer for a clinic depends on what is in it, and that information lives in the product's Safety Data Sheet, not on the label.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires an employer to make a copy of the Safety Data Sheet readily available to workers who may be exposed to a product. Section 2 of the SDS lists hazard classifications, including whether a product is a skin or respiratory sensitiser. Section 9 lists the flash point, which tells you whether the product is a flammable liquid under the Ontario Fire Code. A product marketed as low-odour may still carry sensitiser classifications or a low flash point; a product with a stronger smell may not. The only way to compare two products on safety is to read their SDSs side by side.

What to ask about for a clinic specifically

• Flames and sparks during application: The Ontario Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07, s.4.1.5.2) says open flames, sparks or heat shall not be permitted in an area where flammable or combustible liquids are stored, handled or used unless controlled in a manner that will not create a fire or explosion hazard. If the clinic has pilot lights, oxygen lines or sparking equipment nearby, ask the contractor for the SDS before any product is selected, and confirm the flash point.
• Who is in the building: Patients, staff or residents with respiratory sensitivities are a real planning consideration. Ask the contractor which products they intend to use, for the SDSs in advance, and whether the space needs to be vacated and for how long. The data sheet for the product governs that window, not the marketing copy.
• Floor performance under Reg. 851: R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 851 (Industrial Establishments), s.11 says a floor used by any worker shall not have any finish or protective material that is likely to make the surface slippery. That applies to the finished floor regardless of which system is chosen.
• WSIB clearance: Under WSIB policy 14-02-19, a business retaining a contractor for construction work must obtain a clearance certificate before work begins and keep it in effect throughout. The householder exemption does not apply to a business.

Before a contractor visits, it helps to gather the floor's history (age of the slab, any previous coatings or adhesives, whether old tile or mastic is present and whether it has been tested for asbestos), a note on what spills and traffic the floor sees, how long the clinic can realistically close or phase work, and whether any areas have oxygen or gas lines nearby. That information lets a contractor match a product to the space rather than defaulting to whatever they have on hand.

You can submit a project request through the form on this page and contractors listed in the Ottawa Construction Network directory will reply by email.