A Surrey, BC business owner has been fined $20,000 for knowingly exposing workers to asbestos without their knowledge..In provincial court, Vivesh Kochher — who owned of a drywall recycling company — pleaded guilty in March to charges under the Workers Compensation Act after a WorkSafeBC investigation revealed he exposed between 13 and 15 workers to asbestos-containing material..WorkSafeBC confirmed and commented on the case this week..The defendant had defied a September 2019 stop-work order from WorkSafeBC after a prevention officer inspected the business and found asbestos. In November that year — while the order was in place — Kochher brought in a third-party contractor to remove the asbestos-containing material and equipment..However, Kochher did not inform the contractor or workers that asbestos was present at his worksite, nor did he tell them a stop-work order was in place..No personal protective equipment was provided, which is required when dealing with asbestos..Crown highlighted that Kochher hired the contractor on Remembrance Day, suggesting he did so because the “likelihood of detection” was lower due to it being a statutory holiday..WorkSafeBC says asbestos exposure is the number one killer of workers in the province, as there has been around 600 accepted claims for work-related deaths in BC due to the substance within the last decade..“More than half of all work-related fatalities are from occupational diseases, of which the majority are from exposure to asbestos,” said Al Johnson, head of prevention services for WorkSafeBC..“We cannot, and will not, tolerate employers endangering the lives of workers. There are profound consequences for this kind of egregious disregard for worker health and safety.”.Asbestos was widely used in BC as a building material until the early 90s; as it ages the material breaks down into small fibres. When disturbed the fibres linger in the air for hours imposing a multitude of potentially grievous health risks if inhaled..Kochher has voluntarily dissolved his company, AVR Drywall Recycling Ltd..In addition to his fine, Kochher was ordered to pay a victim surcharge and is prohibited from owning or operating any business that involves the management, handling, or disposal of asbestos-containing material..Reid Small is a BC-based reporter for the Western Standard.,rsmall@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/reidsmall
