The Seattle Pacific Hotel owner Raj Nariya is facing $355,000 by the Washington State Department of Labor for workplace health and safety violations. The DOL’s investigation uncovered twelve willful breaches of the health and safety code. Some of the breaches cited in the report include knowingly exposing employees to asbestos, failing to provide respiratory protection, leaving asbestos debris on site.
According to the trade publication Business Insurance, Mr. Nariya hired untrained employees of a roofing contractor for asbestos removal during a hotel remodeling project instead of the certified asbestos abatement contractor who discovered that much of the ceiling was originally constructed with cement asbestos board. The publication which was reporting on a statement from the Washington State Department of Labor, also stated that Nariya failed to inform the untrained laborers of the asbestos-laden ceiling despite knowing of its existence.
Anne Soiza, the assistant director for the Division of Occupational Safety and Health for the DOL, said: “It's unconscionable that anyone would knowingly expose untrained and unprotected workers to asbestos.”
These willful violations of the health and safety code by Nariya were completely avoidable. In order to save a few dollars on remodeling his hotel, Nariya jeopardized the lives of the laborers who worked on his roof. The fines that Nariya faces are small compared to the damage he may cause. The sad part is that asbestos can lay dormant for 15 to 50 years before the effects are ever known so malicious hotel owner may be gone or have sold his hotel by the time the victims are aware that Nariya robbed them of years on this earth and quality of life.
The Paul Law Firm advocates for victims of asbestos-related diseases. If you or a loved one is suffering from mesothelioma, call the Paul Law Firm. With over 2.5 billion dollars collected for victims of asbestos exposure, we have the knowledge and the experience to fight for you. We also understand that fighting doesn’t just happen in the courtroom. It also happens in a lab where we are fighting for a cure. Check out the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America here.
Call us today at 1-855 88 LEGAL (885-3425) or contact us online to discuss your case with one of our experienced mesothelioma lawyers
