The B.C. government should require mandatory licensing for all demolition and environmental remediation contractors that repeatedly expose workers and the public to asbestos fibers and other hazardous materials, says the B.C. Insulators Union. "The main reason we are asking the provincial government about this is because WorkSafeBC doesn’t have the tools for enforcement, or the tools to watch all demolition projects every day," said Lee Loftus, business manager of the B.C. Insulators Union.
"As a result, residential and small commercial premises are being demolished in a 16 hour day. A dump truck and excavator show up and all the evidence is gone other than the dust debris floating in the neighborhood."
WorkSafeBC has nearly doubled the total amount of fines issued for safety infractions in the past two years, with $6.4 million already levied in 2015 and 120 fines related to asbestos removal. An inspection of 110 home renovation and demolition sites resulted in 246 non-compliance orders. For example, the largest WorkSafeBC fine of $60,000 was imposed on BCS Contractors Ltd. at a worksite in Burnaby on April 8, 2015. Five of this firm’s workers were preparing a pre-1990 house for demolition by stripping the interior.
"WorkSafeBC prevention officers inspected the worksite and found that the firm allowed its workers to improperly bag asbestos-containing drywall and then dump that drywall in a bin in front of the house," said the WorkSafeBC report. "This was a failure on the firm’s part to ensure that no work that would disturb asbestos-containing materials took place unless the necessary precautions had been taken to protect workers."
This was a repeated violation committed by BCS Contractors Ltd. for knowingly exposing workers to asbestos with reckless disregard.
BCS Contractors Ltd. was also fined $7,500 on June 25, 2015 at a site in Burnaby, while undertaking asbestos abatement on a pre-1990 house slated for demolition. "The employer failed to follow its own work procedures for the abatement," said the WorkSafeBC report.
After the interior of the house had been demolished, WorkSafeBC inspected the worksite and found various asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) that had not been removed as required by section 6.27 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. These ACMs included drywall joint compound, linoleum flooring, textured ceiling material, and insulation. As a result, demolition workers and others may have been exposed to excessive levels of asbestos fibres, a known carcinogen.
Since 2010, the BCS Contractors has incurred 14 penalties for similar violations.
"The debris that is left behind in someone’s backyard or the park is a public hazard," said Loftus.
"Your mother or sister is at risk of breathing asbestos. So, we need regulation and control, which will allow enforcement."
In another case, WorkSafeBC issued a $16,445 fine to AA Insulation Depot Ltd. at a worksite in Vancouver on Sept. 2, 2015.
Three workers, including a supervisor, were removing asbestos-containing stucco from the exterior of a pre-1990 house due for demolition. A WorkSafeBC officer inspected the jobsite and found the firm was not following the required procedures for high-risk removal of ACMs.
"The work area was not covered with plastic sheets nor were the ACMs being wetted down during removal, so that clouds of dust were drifting off the stucco surface as it was broken off — both high-risk violations," said the report. "These deficiencies indicate that the firm failed to prevent the spread of ACMs, a repeated and high-risk violation."
The firm failed to provide its workers with the information, instruction, training, and the supervision needed to ensure their own and other workers’ health and safety. Given this problem with repeat violators, Loftus wants contractors, who undertake asbestos removal in demolition and renovation, to be certified by a provincial regulatory authority. This change in the regulatory regime will ensure all workers are properly trained on how to safely deal with dangerous products.
"Companies that knowingly allow workers or neighbourhoods be exposed to asbestos should face serious fines and jail time, because they are issuing a slow death sentence on those people," said Loftus. "And, companies that don’t do the appropriate hazardous or environmental assessment are equally guilty."
In addition, the B.C. Insulators Union is calling on municipalities to not issue demolition permits until thorough hazardous waste assessments have been done to identify any asbestos presence and properly dispose of it.
"We need municipalities to step up to the plate by refusing a demolition permit in advance of any demolition, and require an assessment of that building for all hazardous materials," said Loftus. "Municipalities need to be part of the inspection and enforcement. It is common for a residence to be demolished without a permit or regard for neighbouring properties. They should find the resources and train their staff to take responsibility on this issue."
Occupational disease now the number one killer of workers
Occupational disease is the single leading cause of work-related death in B.C. According to WorkSafeBC’s 2014 Annual Report, asbestos-related disease resulted in 77 deaths last year, which represents 57 per cent of all work-related deaths. These deaths are caused primarily by asbestos-related disease resulting from worker exposure 20 to 50 years earlier. Asbestos is no longer used for insulation in Canada, but fatalities caused by this exposure continue because huge quantities are present in older buildings.
Demolition or renovation can release the deadly fibers into the air, where inhalation can cause fatal illnesses up to decades later. The B.C. Insulators Union represents workers who install and remove mechanical insulation as well as heating and cooling systems in buildings. It was formerly known as the Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Union.
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