Close X
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
ADVT 
National

Vivesh Kochher and AVR Drywall Recycling Ltd. fined $20,000 by WorkSafe BC for knowingly exposing employees to asbestos

Darpan News Desk WorkSafe BC, 13 Apr, 2022 09:59 AM
  • Vivesh Kochher and AVR Drywall Recycling Ltd. fined $20,000 by WorkSafe BC for knowingly exposing employees to asbestos
Richmond, B.C. (April 13, 2022) — WorkSafeBC provided comment today on the sentencing of Vivesh Kochher who pleaded guilty to charges under the Workers Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
 
WorkSafeBC’s investigation determined that Mr. Kochher had failed to ensure the health and safety of between 13 and 15 workers, by knowingly exposing them to asbestos-containing material. The defendant had defied a WorkSafeBC stop-work order, which was issued on Sept. 21, 2019, by a WorkSafeBC Prevention Officer who inspected the site and found asbestos.
 
WorkSafeBC’s investigation recommended that charges be laid under the Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. Charges were laid in November 2021 and guilty pleas were entered in March 2022.
 
A hearing took place in Provincial Court on March 2, 2022, and the following sentence was imposed on Kochher:
  • A $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.
“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 is the number one killer of workers in B.C. In the last 10 years, there were approximately 600 accepted claims for work-related deaths in B.C. because of asbestos exposure.
 
Photo AVR Drywall Recycling Ltd courtesy of Facebook. 

MORE National ARTICLES

Man hit by car in Nanaimo, B.C., dies of injuries

Man hit by car in Nanaimo, B.C., dies of injuries
A statement from Nanaimo RCMP says an on-duty officer witnessed the collision around 9:30 p.m. Monday and administered first aid until Emergency Health Services personnel arrived to take the pedestrian to hospital, where he later died.

Man hit by car in Nanaimo, B.C., dies of injuries

Report on housing costs examines municipal roles

Report on housing costs examines municipal roles
Prof. Carolyn Whitzman, a University of Ottawa housing and social policy expert, says policy changes ranging from requiring municipal governments to approve more multi-housing developments to introducing provincial policies that make more government land available for housing could help the problem.

Report on housing costs examines municipal roles

B.C. offers 4th vaccine dose to seniors

B.C. offers 4th vaccine dose to seniors
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday that people over age 70 in the community, Indigenous people 55 and up and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable will also be included in a vaccination campaign that will ramp up through the spring.    

B.C. offers 4th vaccine dose to seniors

B.C. to increase housing, services near transit

B.C. to increase housing, services near transit
Changes to the Transportation Act were introduced Tuesday, which the government says would allow the province to shape growth around transit, increase housing density and build connected communities.

B.C. to increase housing, services near transit

Elderly Sikh man who has family in BC attacked in New York City, target of hate crime

Elderly Sikh man who has family in BC attacked in New York City, target of hate crime
According to New York police the assault on Nirmal Singh was unprovoked. Singh said that he was allegedly punched from behind on a Sunday morning walk around 7 a.m. on 95th Avenue and Lefferts Blvd. in Richmond Hill.    

Elderly Sikh man who has family in BC attacked in New York City, target of hate crime

Suspect arrested and charged following two alleged arsons targeting the same residence

Suspect arrested and charged following two alleged arsons targeting the same residence
Just two days later, the same owner reported he had found what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail device inside his house, but the container had not ignited. Police say they reviewed video surveillance and arrested a suspect in his mid-40s who remains in custody.    

Suspect arrested and charged following two alleged arsons targeting the same residence