Construction company hit with $5,000 for putting workers at potential risk of asbestos fibres

ABCE Construction was recently issued a $5,000 fine over improper handling of asbestos at a Coquitlam house that was marked for demolition, according to a report from WorkSafeBC.

A one-storey, 1964-era wood-frame house on Lazy A street in the Ranch Park neighbourhood had been found to contain hazardous material, according to a previous inspection report.

That material included a drywall joint compound, vinyl flooring, and a rope gasket, all of which contained asbestos.

Arriving at the site on Sept. 18, a WorkSafeBC inspector found the employees had been working when the ventilation equipment had gone offline “due to electrical connection issues.”

There were no asbestos air sampling trains at the site to monitor the air quality.

The workers acknowledged the requirement and couldn’t explain “why they continued the high-risk abatement without asbestos sampling,” the report stated.

The workers had also been in the building without a supervisor outside, according to the WorkSafeBC report. The employer representative was not present at the inspection.

The inspector reported finding a vacuum cleaner inside the house. The vacuum wasn’t equipped with a HEPA filter.

The employees said the vacuum wasn’t being used.

“The workers could not explain they there was a vacuum cleaner without a HEPA filter inside the work area if it was neither needed nor being used,” the report stated.

One of the employees was also wearing a respirator that failed to meet the minimum protection factor.

“The employer had not taken necessary precautions nor provided adequate supervision to protect workers from airborne asbestos fibers,” the report stated.

There were considered high-risk violations.

The inspector issued a stop-work order.

An inspection in October found the asbestos had been removed and the cleanup finished.