Asbestos exposure prompts B.C. arrest warrant

An arrest warrant has been issued for a Metro Vancouver man accused of knowingly exposing his workers to asbestos without protection.

The B.C. Court of Appeal ruled this week that Arthur Moore is in contempt of court for continuing to operate his asbestos and drywall removal business in the fall of 2010 despite a court order that he stop doing such work.

His business operated in Surrey and other cities under the name AM Environmental, Tri City Hazmat, Surrey Hazmat, Pro Scan Environmentaland other names.

The appeal court upheld a lower court ruling that Moore was violating an injunction, did not provide proper safety training or equipment to his workers and was posing a significant risk to public safety.

The court also said Moore was exploiting young recovering addicts as part of his work force.

WorkSafeBC, which brought the legal action against Moore after finding safety concerns on his work sites, says it will seek jail time for him.

In a judgment handed down in April, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Jeanne Watchuk said Moore posed a "significant public safety concern."

Evidence presented in the Supreme Court case included an instruction Moore gave his young workers to "run" if WorkSafeBC inspectors visited a job site.

One worker, David Cooper, said in an affidavit that he worked for Moore for nearly two years at dozens of demolition sites and was given only gloves as protective equipment except on one occasion.

Cooper said was never told about the health threats posed by asbestos.

The court also heard that most of Moores workers were under 18, some as young as 14.