An Esquimalt-based company was hit with a more than $61,000 fine and a stop-work order by WorkSafeBC last fall after a “high-risk and repeated violation” involving asbestos during demolition of a Victoria home.
The action against Van Isle Hazmat Inc. was detailed in a report released by WorkSafeBC.
It said the company failed to prevent the spread of asbestos dust and debris, or to ensure that asbestos was handled according to procedures acceptable to provincial workplace-safety agency.
The company also failed to provide workers with the information, training, and supervision “to ensure their health and safety,” the report said.
It said the stop-work order was lifted about a week later, after the company took action to satisfy WorkSafeBC requirements.
The violations occurred during demolition of a two-storey, wood-framed house built in 1946, when workers were removing exterior asbestos-contaminated paint that was adhered to the soffit and stucco, a summary of the initial WorkSafeBC inspection said.
It said fragments of asbestos-contaminated paint were seen outside the work area designated by warning tape, with the waste unattended and in the open air.
The home was near the ocean and there was a breeze on the property while the inspection was conducted, the summary said.
The stop-work order was lifted after a follow-up inspection.
WorkSafeBC said the company enacted measures to ensure that “all asbestos waste and other waste contaminated with asbestos, including protective clothing and cleanup equipment,” is placed in sealed containers that are labelled as containing asbestos. The company also increased supervision and committed to some retraining for workers.
— Accurate at time of publication | March 2025
What you’ll get: