RSBQ accreditation framework

Define the scope, responsibilities, boundaries and decision rules of RSBQ.

Requirements

1. The report SHALL identify RSBQ as a private framework, its edition, assessed scope and exclusions.
2. The framework MAY apply to residential, multi-unit, commercial, institutional, care, hospitality, industrial and public buildings during acquisition, occupancy, after a loss, change of use or before work.
3. The mandate SHALL distinguish building condition, occupant risk, worker obligations and investigation limits.

Minimum expected evidence

• Signed mandate
• Edition and date
• Address and inspected areas
• Exclusions and access restrictions

ImportantRSBQ complements due diligence, inspection and specialist assessments; it does not replace them.

Apply the most stringent requirement without copying or distorting external references.

Requirements

1. Applicable laws, regulations, codes and authority guidance SHALL prevail over RSBQ.
2. BNQ, IICRC, CSA, ISO or other standards SHALL be consulted in an authorized edition when applicable.
3. Reports SHALL identify the publisher, edition and used clause without reproducing protected content beyond permitted use.

Minimum expected evidence

• Reference register
• Version check
• Licensed document access
• Non-copying crosswalk

Separate assessment, corrective work and conformity decisions.

Requirements

1. Assessors SHALL disclose financial interests and relationships with the seller, broker, contractor or laboratory.
2. A person SHALL NOT independently close work they sold or performed when independence is essential.
3. Each signatory SHALL demonstrate relevant training, experience, insurance and authorization.
4. An organization applying for accreditation SHALL demonstrate at least two complete years of lawful operation before its application is eligible.
5. Eligibility SHALL include a documented review of identity, applicable licences and insurance, sanctions, credible complaints, disclosed litigation and professional references.
6. A false statement, evidence that cannot be verified or a documented pattern incompatible with public protection MAY lead to a reasoned refusal.

Minimum expected evidence

• Impartiality declaration
• Qualifications
• Competence scope
• Independent review
• Two years of verifiable registration
• Reputation and reference review

Protect occupants and practitioners before gathering data.

Requirements

1. The visit plan SHALL identify immediate hazards including carbon monoxide, unsafe atmospheres, electricity, structure, asbestos, chemicals, sewage and confined spaces.
2. An immediate danger SHALL stop the task and trigger notice and emergency referral when needed.
3. Destructive sampling SHALL NOT occur without authorization, a safe method and dispersion control.

Minimum expected evidence

• Hazard assessment
• Protective equipment
• Stop-work notice
• Safe-distance documentation

Add a structured health portrait to the visual pre-purchase inspection.

Requirements

1. The protocol SHALL review seller declarations, building age, renovations, losses, uses and known complaints.
2. The P Portrait SHALL identify completed, triggered, refused, inaccessible and pending modules and SHALL NOT be presented as a C Assessment.
3. Long-duration results, especially radon, SHALL be handled through a condition, post-purchase follow-up or an appropriate contractual mechanism advised by a legal or real-estate professional.

Minimum expected evidence

• Pre-visit questionnaire
• Evidence register
• Sampling plan
• Pending-results table
• Non-legal transaction recommendations

ImportantA rapid screen cannot establish certainty about hidden contaminants.

Connect environmental results to the enclosure, systems and actual use.

Requirements

1. The assessment SHALL document foundation, enclosure, roof, drainage, ventilation, heating, plumbing and below-grade spaces.
2. Odours, staining, corrosion, condensation, degraded materials and prior work SHALL be recorded without conclusions beyond the evidence.
3. Uninspected areas SHALL be mapped and their effect on conclusions explained.

Minimum expected evidence

• Building profile
• Plan or sketch
• Area-based photographs
• Moisture readings
• Access limitations

Characterize sources, pathways, ventilation conditions and plausible exposures.

Requirements

1. The investigation SHALL define its question before selecting instruments or sampling.
2. Temperature, relative humidity, contextual carbon dioxide, particles, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde or VOCs MAY be measured based on observed sources and concerns.
3. Comparisons SHALL identify the official or professional reference, averaging time and interpretation limits.

Minimum expected evidence

• Measurement objective
• Method and duration
• Instrument verification
• Indoor and outdoor conditions
• Room-level interpretation

ImportantA normal spot result does not exclude intermittent or seasonal exposure.

Find and control the water source before treating contaminated materials.

Requirements

1. The assessment SHALL investigate leakage, infiltration, condensation, flooding, capillary rise or incomplete drying.
2. Visible and suspected extent SHALL be documented; sampling SHALL NOT replace inspection and must answer a defined question.
3. Corrective protocols SHALL address the source, occupants, containment, materials, contents, HVAC, waste and post-work verification under applicable references.

Minimum expected evidence

• Loss history
• Moisture map
• Extent and materials
• Work protocol
• Independent post-remediation verification

Prevent uncontrolled disturbance and maintain traceability.

Requirements

1. Suspect materials SHALL be presumed positive where regulation requires unless acceptable evidence shows otherwise.
2. Identification SHALL consider age, renovation history, location, material condition and planned work.
3. Authorized samples SHALL be representative, collected with dispersion control and analyzed by an appropriate method and laboratory.

Minimum expected evidence

• Material inventory
• Location
• Analytical results
• Condition and disturbance risk
• Register and pre-work disclosure

ImportantVisual inspection alone cannot confirm the absence of asbestos.

Identify relevant exposure pathways, especially for children and renovation work.

Requirements

1. Older buildings, deteriorated paint and friction surfaces SHALL trigger a context-appropriate lead risk assessment.
2. Presence MAY be evaluated through paint chips, dust, soil, water or qualified X-ray fluorescence testing.
3. The report SHALL separate lead presence, coating condition, exposure risk and work-generated risk.

Minimum expected evidence

• Construction year
• Surface condition
• XRF or laboratory method
• Chain of custody
• Pre-work management plan

Evaluate point-of-use quality and understand the source, treatment and plumbing.

Requirements

1. The profile SHALL identify municipal or private supply, treatment, stagnation, plumbing materials, advisories and result history.
2. Private-well microbiology and context-triggered chemistry SHALL use an accredited laboratory and official sampling instructions.
3. Results SHALL be compared with current Canadian guidelines and applicable provincial or municipal requirements.

Minimum expected evidence

• Supply source
• Defined sampling point
• Temperature and flushing
• Laboratory report
• Treatment maintenance

ImportantClear, odourless and tasteless water may still contain contaminants.

Estimate annual radon exposure with representative long-term measurement.

Requirements

1. Decisions SHALL use representative long-term measurement; Health Canada currently recommends 3 to 12 months and at least 91 days under its guide.
2. The detector SHALL be placed in the lowest normally occupied level under official and manufacturer instructions.
3. An annual average above the current Canadian guideline of 200 Bq/m³ SHALL trigger mitigation advice, with faster action at higher levels.

Minimum expected evidence

• Detector ID
• Location
• Dates and duration
• Heating-season coverage
• Result and uncertainty
• Post-mitigation verification

ImportantA short transaction-time test does not replace long-term measurement.

Identify sources of CO, NO₂, fine particles, smoke, odours and VOCs.

Requirements

1. Fuel-burning appliances, chimneys, attached garages, generators, stoves and air intakes SHALL be reviewed within mandate limits.
2. The apparent presence and condition of certified smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms SHALL be recorded without replacing required maintenance.
3. Chemical measurement SHALL test a defined hypothesis; non-specific screening SHALL NOT be presented as proof of safety.

Minimum expected evidence

• Source inventory
• Alarm locations
• Targeted measurement
• Ventilation and pressure
• Referral to an authorized technician

Integrate evidence outside the principal modules.

Requirements

1. The mandate SHOULD consider sewage, pests, water-aerosol bacteria, pesticides, methamphetamine, tanks, contaminated soil, fibreglass, silica and allergens where relevant.
2. Each trigger SHALL be referred to the appropriate specialist, authority or protocol.
3. RSBQ SHALL NOT create a universal conclusion when no suitable method or competence exists.

Minimum expected evidence

• Evidence and history
• Trigger rationale
• Specialist reference
• Interim controls
• Limitations

Make results traceable, defensible and interpretable.

Requirements

1. The plan SHALL define the question, matrix, locations, count, controls, method, laboratory and acceptance criteria.
2. A chain of custody SHALL follow samples from collection to the laboratory.
3. Instruments SHALL be maintained, verified or calibrated; detection limits, uncertainty and deviations SHALL be reported.

Minimum expected evidence

• Approved plan
• Field records
• Blanks and controls
• Chain of custody
• Laboratory certificate
• Instrument register

Turn evidence into understandable priorities without medical diagnosis.

Requirements

1. Each finding SHALL be classified as critical, major, moderate, observation or insufficient data.
2. Classification SHALL consider severity, likelihood, duration, vulnerable people, uncertainty and work-related dispersion.
3. Insufficient data SHALL NOT become conformity; it requires further work, a limited hypothesis or an exclusion.

Minimum expected evidence

• Risk matrix
• Rationale
• Priority and timeframe
• Interim control
• Recommended responsible party

Provide a usable document for buyers, owners and professionals.

Requirements

1. The report SHALL include a one-page summary, scope, methods, findings, results, photographs, limitations and prioritized action plan.
2. Conclusions SHALL distinguish observations, measurements, declarations, hypotheses and professional opinion.
3. P Portrait or C Assessment status, validity and pending items SHALL be visible in the summary.

Minimum expected evidence

• Decision summary
• Technical body
• Laboratory appendices
• Findings table
• Transmission record

Confirm source and exposure control, not merely a clean appearance.

Requirements

1. Each correction SHALL have an owner, method, timeframe and closure criterion.
2. Verification SHALL examine the source, condition, relevant final measurements and waste records where applicable.
3. Residual deviations SHALL remain open, be explicitly accepted as residual risk or revise the conclusion.

Minimum expected evidence

• Correction plan
• Work evidence
• Closure visit
• Post-work results
• Independent decision

Prevent a point-in-time report from becoming a permanent promise or false recognition.

Requirements

1. A conformity statement SHALL name the building, scope, edition, date, modules and validity period.
2. Status SHALL be suspended or withdrawn for material falsehood, unresolved critical risk or misleading mark use.
3. Status MAY also be suspended, restricted or withdrawn when a required licence or insurance expires, a major nonconformity remains open, a serious complaint is substantiated, monitoring is refused or accreditation conditions are no longer met.
4. Every adverse decision SHALL be fact-based, proportionate to severity and recorded with any applicable correction or appeal options.
5. Losses, renovation, system changes, occupancy changes or radon mitigation SHALL trigger targeted reassessment.

Minimum expected evidence

• Signed decision
• Public registry
• Status history
• Mark rules
• Monitoring plan
• Complaint or nonconformity file
• Suspension or withdrawal notice

Protect people, correct decisions and keep the framework current.

Requirements

1. Personal information SHALL be minimized, protected, retained and destroyed under applicable law, including Québec Law 25.
2. A documented process SHALL allow complaints, corrections, appeals and decision-maker recusal.
3. RSBQ SHALL track external references and revise the framework when requirements change.

Minimum expected evidence

• Privacy policy
• Access log
• Complaint file
• Appeal decision
• Edition history

Determine mandatory controls from actual use, occupants and processes rather than the building name alone.

Requirements

1. Each zone SHALL be classified by use, occupancy, density, schedule, vulnerability, process, water supply, HVAC system and relationship to adjacent zones.
2. A mixed-use building SHALL be divided into assessment units; the most stringent applicable annex governs shared systems and common pathways.
3. Every applicable sector annex SHALL be named in scope. An omitted annex SHALL be justified as not applicable.

Minimum expected evidence

• Use register
• Plans and HVAC zoning
• Densities and schedules
• Annex matrix
• Non-applicability rationale

ImportantA retail space with a workshop, childcare, kitchen, dwellings or clinic requires multiple annexes.

Adapt assessment to transactions, leases, tenant changes and operating liabilities.

Requirements

1. Due diligence SHALL review present and historical uses, complaints, losses, work, permits, regulatory registers, maintenance contracts and lease responsibilities.
2. The report SHALL distinguish plausible owner, operator, employer and tenant responsibilities without providing legal advice.
3. Costs, timelines and operational interruption related to further investigation or correction SHOULD be identified with explicit uncertainty.

Minimum expected evidence

• Document register
• Use history
• Landlord-tenant allocation
• Deferred assets
• Post-access investigation plan

Manage building health as a continuous operating process rather than an isolated sampling campaign.

Requirements

1. Roles SHALL be established for owner, manager, employer, maintenance, health-and-safety committee and occupants.
2. The program SHALL cover preventive maintenance, complaints, occupancy changes, source control, HVAC schedules, filters, intakes and result communication.
3. Comfort or CO₂ trends MAY guide investigation but SHALL NOT alone prove safety or conformity for all contaminants.

Minimum expected evidence

• Stewardship plan
• Complaint log
• HVAC schedule
• Zone trends
• Resolution records

Separate general indoor air quality from occupational exposure created by a process.

Requirements

1. A process generating gas, vapour, fume, aerosol, dust, fibre or bioaerosol SHALL trigger an occupational-hygiene assessment under applicable requirements.
2. The control hierarchy SHALL favour elimination, substitution, enclosure and local exhaust before general dilution and personal protective equipment.
3. Exposure results SHALL use regulatory methods, averaging times and limits; RSBQ SHALL NOT invent an occupational exposure limit.

Minimum expected evidence

• Process inventory
• Safety data sheets
• Sampling strategy
• Capture airflow
• Regulatory comparison
• Control plan

ImportantA comfort measurement never replaces worker exposure assessment.

Manage water systems that can expose multiple occupants through ingestion, contact or aerosol inhalation.

Requirements

1. The inventory SHALL identify cooling towers, hot-water systems, showers, spas, pools, fountains, humidifiers, respiratory equipment and other aerosol generators.
2. Regulated installations SHALL maintain the programs, analyses, notices, corrective actions and records required by the authority having jurisdiction.
3. An exceedance, prolonged stagnation or suspected case SHALL trigger the emergency plan’s controls, communication and public-health referral.

Minimum expected evidence

• Water-system schematic
• Water management program
• Temperature and disinfectant
• Microbiology results
• Maintenance register
• Notices and actions

Increase precaution for children, older adults, patients and immunocompromised people.

Requirements

1. The assessment SHALL identify vulnerable populations, sleeping or care zones, critical periods and special exposure pathways.
2. Dust-producing work, water damage, pressure loss, water interruption or HVAC failure SHALL have continuity controls and facility-appropriate authorization.
3. Infection-prevention, care, childcare or education requirements SHALL be applied by competent responsible parties; an RSBQ statement does not replace them.

Minimum expected evidence

• Occupant profile
• Sensitive zones
• Continuity plan
• Work authorization
• Clinical or administrative communication

Prevent dust, fibre, odour, microbial and chemical transfer into occupied zones.

Requirements

1. Before work, the plan SHALL address hazardous-material inventories, containment, pressure, clean and dirty routes, HVAC protection, waste and occupant communication.
2. Monitoring SHALL match risk and document deviations, stops, method changes and adjacent-zone conditions.
3. Reoccupancy SHALL use predefined criteria: source corrected, acceptable inspection, cleaning, system operation and targeted results when required.

Minimum expected evidence

• Pre-work plan
• Pressure log
• Deviation register
• Final cleaning
• Functional tests
• Reoccupancy authorization

Manage multiple buildings consistently without concealing local differences.

Requirements

1. A portfolio owner SHALL retain a file for every building, a common risk taxonomy and a criticality-based schedule.
2. Central data SHALL preserve the zone, device, method, date and responsible person behind each finding.
3. Loss, change of use, major work, repeated complaint, HVAC change, new process or population change SHALL trigger targeted reassessment.

Minimum expected evidence

• Portfolio register
• Criticality table
• Asset history
• Due-date alerts
• Sampling audits

Core clauses 01–28 apply to every scope. The following annexes are added based on actual uses; several annexes may apply within one property.

This checklist is neither a guarantee nor an exhaustive inspection. It organizes the minimum triggers for an RSBQ Portrait.