WorkSafe British Columbia has charged a local business over asbestos-related workplace health and safety violations.
Onni Contracting’s violations during a commercial renovation saw WorkSafeBC inspectors attend the site and observe the work of subcontracted employees, which included the removal of potentially asbestos-containing drywall, with no appropriate safety measures in place.
A subsequent survey later confirmed that it was ACM.
According to the safety regulator, “The firm failed to ensure a qualified person identified hazardous materials before renovation work began, and failed to take the necessary precautions to protect workers before beginning work that would disturb ACMs.
“In addition, as a prime contractor, the firm failed to ensure health and safety activities were coordinated at the workplace. These were all high-risk violations.”
Stop-work orders were issued at the site and at an additional site operated by Coastal wall Systems, who were also charged for violations.
“These were all repeated and high-risk violations,” said WorkSafeBC of the Onni-operated site.
The regulator said that of the inspected site, the abatement work was underway, but there was no decontamination facility or negative air unit in place and in terms of the building containment, breaches were noted.
Onni Contracting Ltd. has been fined $38,991.91CAN, while Coastal Wall Systems Ltd. was charged $15,000.