It is odourless, tasteless, invisible and dangerous – it is radon gas. According to Health Canada, radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer and the only way to know if it is in your building is to test. While there is no current specific legal requirement to test for radon, more and more commercial tenants are employers and are requesting their spaces to be tested. Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, it is the employer’s duty to keep their employees safe from occupational exposures. However, the only way for an employer to know if they are compliant with the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) or the Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) Guidelines is to have their work environment tested. As a result, proactive property managers who have completed this testing are gaining a market advantage. We see highly proactive property management firms completing radon assessments as a part of their BOMA Best applications.

When it comes to radon testing, there are short-term and long-term testing DIY kits available. Short-term tests only provide insight as to radon levels during the short time of testing, while long-term tests, allow you to track the levels of radon over an extended period. Short-term testing is prone to missing spikes in radon exposure, whereas long-term testing captures them. It may be prudent to use both types of testing kits because many different variables affect radon levels, and they can fluctuate at different times of the year.

It is good to know the option is always there to test for radon gas on your own, but in most situations, including property management, it is probably better to hire a C-NRPP-certified radon measurement professional. If you hire a professional, they will oversee the testing process and handle the samples appropriately as to exclude the possibility of compromising the integrity of the test.

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