On April 13, 2022, Work Safe BC reported that “Vivesh Kochher pleaded guilty in Provincial Court and was sentenced for offences under the Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation” for knowingly exposing between 13 and 15 workers to asbestos containing material.
This came after Mr. Kochher had been issued a stop-work order by Work Safe BC due to their being asbestos found on a work site on September 21, 2019. Mr. Kochher defied the order and allowed his workers to continue working on the site despite knowing it contained asbestos.
During a hearing in Provincial Court on March 2, 2022, Mr. Kochher pleaded guilty and had the following sentences imposed:
- $20,000 fine plus a victim surcharge
- Three-year prohibition on owning or operating a waste transfer facility or any other business that involves the management, handling, or disposal of asbestos-containing material.
According to Work Safe BC, asbestos is the number one killer of workers in B.C. Asbestos refers to a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals made up of flexible fibres resistant to heat, electricity, and corrosion which makes them effective as an insulator and was previously used in brake pads.
Unfortunately, once asbestos is inhaled into the lungs, white blood cells accumulate around the asbestos fibres leading to the foundation of fibrosis and in some cases eventually promote tumour growth leading to cancer. There is no specific treatment for asbestos exposure other than symptom management.