Vivesh Kochner pleaded guilty to charges under the Workers Compensation Act last month, more than two years after violating a work order on a property where inspectors had found the cancer-causing substance. WorkSafeBC said Kochner hired a third contractor to clean asbestos material from the site, but never informed workers that asbestos was present or provided them with the necessary personal protective equipment. As a result, 15 people were exposed to asbestos. “More than half of all work-related deaths are from occupational diseases, most of which are due to asbestos exposure,” said Al Johnson, head of prevention services at WorkSafeBC. “We can not and will not tolerate employers endangering the lives of workers. There are profound consequences for this kind of blatant disregard for the health and safety of workers.” In addition to his fine, Kohner was ordered to pay an additional fee to the victim and was barred from owning or operating any type of business involving the management, handling or disposal of asbestos. He had already voluntarily disbanded his company, AVR Drywall Recycling Ltd., after being arrested in 2019. Prosecutors said Kochner sent the contract workers to the closed site on Memorial Day – a mandatory holiday – which they believe happened because he was “less likely to be spotted,” according to an excerpt from the Crown’s submissions from WorkSafeBC. Asbestos is the number one killer of BC workers, according to the agency. WorkSafeBC said it has accepted approximately 600 work-related deaths related to asbestos exposure over the past 10 years.
