Asbestos Litigation

A demolition contractor in the metropolitan Vancouver area could reportedly wind up in jail after he allegedly exposed unprotected workers to asbestos on the job, according to BC Local News.

The news source reports that The B.C. Court of Appeal ordered the arrest of Arthur Moore after he allegedly violated an August 2010 court injunction that prohibited him from operating his asbestos removal company.

"His conduct grievously endangered workers under his direction," said Justice Ian Donaldt. "Unless he can in some way mitigate his indifference to the lives and safety of his workers and his open defiance of the injunction, his misconduct requires a severe response."

Moore, who will be sentenced in B.C. Supreme Court, could receive a prison sentence of up to 120 days, the news source reported.

Asbestos exposure can cause a range of serious illnesses including asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. According to the news source, 44 percent of all work-related deaths in British Columbia are the result of asbestos exposure. Around the world, approximately 107,000 people die each year from asbestos-related illnesses, estimates the World Health Organization.