Best practices keep demolition's dangers to a minimum.
Ensuring Job Site Awareness
Although the prevailing perception is that the
demolition industry by its very nature is a
dangerous business, the truth is that the industry’s
continued commitment to safety
education and best practices is creating a relatively safe
industry in which to work. There are no government
statistics that isolate the number of fatalities that occur
specifically in the demolition industry, but the National
Demolition Association (NDA) points to the fact that
the number of fatalities in the construction industry
overall has remained relatively constant for 20 years
while the total volume of construction jobs undertaken
in our economy has quadrupled. The obvious conclusion
is that great strides have been made in the area of
occupational health and safety.
A number of initiatives created by NDA highlight
the industry’s continued commitment to safety on the
job site. The “Demolition Safety Manual,” viewed by
many as the first and last word in demolition safety
practices, catalogs the safest ways to perform diverse
tasks when demolishing structures. If properly used, the
manual will help lead to fewer injuries, safer work sites,
and lower worker’s compensation premiums. The reference
book translates OSHA regulations into actions
for the industry professionals and is meant to be used
in connection with each company’s training program in
safe work practices. It is an important tool in NDA’s aggressive
safety program, which also includes the Hazard
Communications Program Manual and the association’s
safety DVD series.
Some of the topics covered include:
• Motivating employees
• Equipment safety, including preparation and use
of material handling equipment, trucks, and other
heavy equipment
• Preparing engineering surveys, utility location,
medical services, and fire prevention
• Protective structures, such as signs and lighting
• The safe use of ladders, cranes, and manlifts and
the implementation of shoring
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Fall prevention
• Debris removal
• Handling hazardous materials, including asbestos,
PCBs, and lead
• Safe use of hand tools, such as pneumatic power
tools, abrasive blade tools, and chainsaws
Annual Demolition Safety/Management Summits
have been held for 13 years to address topics that affect
those in the demolition process. This year’s summit,
to be held in October in Atlanta, has been expanded
and named the “Demolition Academy.” It will
offer specialty certification courses in areas including
confined space rescue, aerial lift equipment safety, and
fall protection specifically for the demolition industry.
Included in the program will be a demolition project
site management training course and also a demolition-
specific OSHA 10-hour safety training course,
which is a prerequisite for a Disaster Site Worker Certification
that is likely to be required by OSHA for industry
personnel working on any disaster site.
Another initiative is a series of bimonthly “Demolition
Safety Talks.” These toolbox safety talks can be used
on industry work sites to alert workers to particular hazards
they may face. The talks also assist workers with occupational
safety and health compliance. These prepackaged
toolbox safety meetings are aimed at
medium-sized and smaller demolition contractors who
may not have the resources to employ a full-time safety
director. In these cases, the job usually falls on the shoulders
of the project manager, who is a person pulled in
many directions during a demolition project. Topics covered
in this series include fall protection, scaffold safety,
electrical safety, and the operation of heavy machinery.
First Step is Preparation
There are general practices employed by most demolition
contractors on a demolition project. The first is
preparation.
To avoid potential dangers, the contractor must embark
on advance planning. Most contractors perform
an engineering survey before employees even touch a
building. A team made up of the estimator, safety director,
field superintendent, and foreman go through
the survey and discuss everything that could possibly
happen. Every problem area is examined, and the correct
procedure to handle it is devised.
Demolition contractors should inspect the site to be
demolished closely to be sure there is no live electric circuit,
gas or flammable liquid in a pipe, or some hazardous
substance left in a vessel. Experienced contractors
know there is often no second chance to get it right.
Safety meetings are essential so every worker knows
every potential hazard and how to avoid injuries and fatalities.
During the project, safety meetings continue,
even on a daily basis, to ensure all safety hazards are
communicated and immediately corrected.
This article originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.