Demolition Work

Awareness of hazards

Site safety risks include environmental, (de)construction, and behavioural hazards. Creating waste and debris may expose workers to chemical, biological, energy, and impact hazards. Work involves heavy and moving machinery, working at heights, and hand-held tools. Exposure to dust, noise, heat, and chemicals add longer term health risks.

Understanding risks

Complex work environments add significant safety risks to the work being performed. Dust and debris can reduce visibility and create restricted spaces where workers and moving plant are both present. Hot, windy, or wet weather conditions are also environmental hazards.

While every effort should be made to identify risks before demolition is commenced, there are likely emerging risks during the project requiring ongoing reassessments. Early pre-start assessments will check for live services, hazardous materials or substances, and public safety.

Ensuring that equipment, plant, vehicles, and work platforms are maintained in good working order and used correctly involves good safety management systems and safe behaviours.

Safe behaviours include being mentally and physically fit for risky work. Pre-start checks ensure equipment is certified and in good working order. Workers should be informed and aware of works in progress and follow the instructions of site management. Workers should be competent to use vehicles, plant, and equipment. Unsafe behaviours include ignoring instructions and not wearing correct PPE.

Eliminate or minimise risks

Risk controls focus on either the hazard or the behaviour of workers and others.

Eliminate the hazard. Removing hazardous materials safely prior to demolition. Substitute the hazard. Safer plant, machinery, chemicals, and work methods.

Isolate the hazard. Exclusion/ isolation zones. Waste management. Disconnect live services. Damp down dust and restrict environmental contamination. TMPs. Store hazardous gases, fuels, chemicals, and materials.

Work platforms.

Use engineered modifications. Emergency equipment. Falling object protections. Crush/tipping and rollover protection.

Focusing on human behaviours include:

Administration of safe systems of work. Training. SSSP/Task analyses. Site meetings. Vehicle monitors and sensors.

Personal protection equipment. PPE. Communication devices (worn).