Man exposed workers to asbestos

A man who exposed his young, inexperienced workers to asbestos without providing them with the proper gear has dodged a prison sentence.

Arthur Moore was ordered to stop his asbestos abatement business in an August 2010 ruling by a B.C. Supreme Court judge.

But he continued to carry on work, sometimes using recovering drug and alcohol addicts from the Lion Wellness Recovery House in Surrey, where some clients are required to find a job as part of their recovery program.

WorkSafe B.C. made an application to have Moore found in contempt of court and sentenced to up to 120 days in jail for continuing to do asbestos work despite the injunction.

Justice Jeanne Watchuk dismissed WorkSafe B.C.'s application on a technicality in her B.C. Supreme Court ruling dated April 11 this year.

Watchuk found Moore would get his vulnerable, young workers to remove asbestos from jobs he had successfully bid on "without providing protective equipment to his employees."

Asbestos was a popular building material for its fire-retardant properties up to the 1970s. That changed when it was determined asbestos is a slow killer, claiming its victims 10 to 20 years after they were exposed to the substance.

It is the biggest cause of workrelated deaths in B.C. -53 of the 121 death claims in B.C. in 2009 were asbestos-related.

Although Watchuk found Moore "poses a significant public safety concern" and "targeted ... vulnerable workers," she dismissed the application to have him jailed.


Some of Moore's workers were as young as 14, the judge heard.

Moore had told his employees to run if any WorkSafe B.C. personnel appeared on site, one witness testified.

With no assets -not even a driver's licence -Moore, who has used a number of aliases, has escaped punishment for his misdeeds. He did not show up at the two-day hearing before Justice Watchuk.

Al Johnson of WorkSafe B.C. said people offering to do asbestos inspections and removal aren't required to be licensed. It's buyer beware, he said, noting homeowners should check references.

"Asbestos materials in place, for the most part, aren't dangerous. It's when they are disturbed and the fibres get into the air [where they can be inhaled]. "You can't see them, you can't smell them, you can't taste them," he said. "The fibres go deep into the lungs."

aivens@theprovince.com

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Source : http://www.theprovince.com/health/exposed+workers+asbestos/4674009/story.html

The dread substance: Asbestos

Asbestos is the substance that operates behind mesothelioma, the disease that you have been diagnosed with. Therefore you should know what it is all about and why asbestos, of all things should lead to the development of such malignancy within your substance. Remember that awareness is always the first step towards the solution to any issue whatsoever.

Asbestos is a mineral which is extremely toxic. Rather it is a group of minerals that occur in nature as a mass of strong fibers which can be separated into separate thinner fibers. It is an industrial substance and is used in products like cement. Brakes, roof shingles and insulation, among other things. Asbestos particles are airborne and are usually inhaled or consumed. So if you have unknowingly inhaled asbestos particles, then they have probably traveled through your lungs to reach the pleura or the lining of your lungs. This leads to the growth of the malignant growths there. Also, asbestos particles can also enter your body after being mixed with your saliva. Blue asbestos particles are much more cancerous than white asbestos fibers.

The shape and the size of the asbestos particles make it easier for them to penetrate the human system. This causes inflammation and intense damage to the cells in the body. Then these particles embed themselves in the lining of the organs, whichever that maybe. Since asbestos particles are generally inhaled, they usually lodge themselves in the pleura or the lining of the lungs.

Asbestos also interferes with the genetic structure of your body. It facilitates the easy penetration of foreign DNA (genetic material) into the cells which are to be affected. With the entry of such alien substances there are many mutations that occur within the cells. All cellular processes are modified and cellular secretions are contaminated within your body. Though asbestos is the most common cause of mesothelioma, there are certain exceedingly rare cases where mesothelioma occurs due to irradiation, intra pleural thorium dioxide which is also called Thorotrast. It can also occur due to inhaling other fiber based substances, especially silica based minerals like erionite.