WorkSafeBC has fined a property rental company affiliated with a prominent Vancouver developer over unsafe handling of asbestos during a recent renovation of a Coquitlam apartment building.
The workplace safety watchdog charged a $27,000 administrative fine to Cascadia Apartment Rentals Ltd. after a site visit to 1010 King Albert Avenue on September 3.
WorkSafe’s occupational hygiene officer, Cris Barzan, arrived to find the units’ bathtubs, carpets, and baseboards already removed and placed on the balconies. He also learned that the vinyl kitchen flooring was being removed for an update ordered by the employer.
When Barzan asked the six workers present if there had been a hazardous materials report prepared by a qualified person, the workers said they hadn’t heard of one. Barzan issued a stop work order that day and conferred with Cascadia about it. The inspector learned the last hazardous materials report had been completed in 2016 — but it wasn’t filled out properly with the necessary information.
The building was constructed in 1977, which made Barzan cautious about the potential presence of asbestos.
Asbestos is a material used for insulating homes that was banned in Canada in 2018 due to its negative health impacts. Asbestos is safe when tightly bound in a container inside floor and ceiling tiles or within the walls of a home, according to the Government of Canada. But when it’s disturbed or moved, it can be dangerous. Breathing in asbestos fibres has been linked to lung scarring and cancer.
The building’s hazardous material report from 2016 only sampled a piece of exterior stucco for asbestos. It didn’t check any of the apartment interiors.
“I concluded that this employer failed to ensure that a qualified person identified any hazardous material of the unit that will be renovated prior to starting the renovation,” Barzan wrote.
Further, Barzan discovered that none of the employees at the worksite had received training on the hazards of asbestos or how to identify it. They did not believe they would be handling any asbestos-containing materials.
Drywall disturbed during renovations contained asbestos
Asbestos surveyor taking a sample of building material (Pvince73/Shutterstock)
As it turned out, the building’s drywall contained asbestos — and it was disturbed during the renovations.
WorkSafe noted a hazardous materials survey was conducted later, revealing asbestos-containing material was inside the drywall.
“The firm failed to ensure that, before renovation work began, a qualified person inspected the worksite to identify any hazardous materials, a repeated violation,” WorkSafeBC said in its penalty summary posted online. “The firm also failed to ensure that workers at risk of exposure to asbestos were adequately trained in the hazards and the work procedures to be followed. These were both high-risk violations.”
The report indicated workers weren’t wearing appropriate asbestos protective equipment during the December 3 site visit. They were wearing their regular clothes.
WorkSafe’s government and media relations advisor, Yesenia Dhott, told Daily Hive that the type of fine given to Cascadia is one of the most severe penalties the watchdog has in its toolkit.
“Administrative penalties are reserved for the most significant violations and in cases where employers have been in repeat noncompliance,” Dhott said. “For most Occupational Health and Safety violations, orders are sufficient to bring employers into compliance.”
Property management company tied to Cressey Development Group sparked tenant rallies
Vancouver Tenants Union/Courtesy
The WorkSafe inspection report noted Cascadia both operates and owns the apartment building at 1010 King Albert Avenue.
Cascadia is a subsidiary of Cressey Development Group, according to the Vancouver Tenants Union. The business address of the employer on WorkSafe’s inspection report is the same as Cressey’s office on West 8th Avenue in Vancouver.
Land title documents for the property indicate it’s owned by CDM Holdings, and a mortgage is held by Cressey Development Group’s chairman, Norman Cressey.
Tenants in different buildings operated by Cascadia staged rallies last year over poor living conditions. The Vancouver Tenants’ Union said renters dealt with mold, pests, and neglectful maintenance. According to Cascadia’s Facebook page, it operates more than 5,000 rental units in the Lower Mainland.
Daily Hive reached out to Cascadia and Cressey for comments but has not yet heard back.