Safety Precautions for Building Demolition

There’s no doubt that demolition is a very necessary part of the world of construction, but it does require some safety precautions. Demolition can be a dangerous activity, necessary or not, so taking precautions is essential. Here are some of the things you can do to keep yourself and your team safe.

Check for Asbestos

In many older buildings, there may be asbestos remnants, which can be dangerous if released into the air. It can be dangerous for your lungs, too. This is why it’s required that any asbestos be removed before demolition begins. Once it is safely disposed of, you can move forward with the demolition safely.

Wear Appropriate PPE

In a demolition zone, there are certain things you must wear to stay safe, including a hard hat, safety glasses, safety gloves, high visibility vest, and boots with steel toes. This helps ensure anyone on site will be visible and protected from debris. However, this does not mean there is no need for precautions or following the rules throughout the site. PPE doesn’t protect from everything, after all.

Maintain a Tidy Site

It’s essential that the area be kept clean to prevent accidents. Since demolition usually results in quite a bit of dust and debris, there must be a plan for this and you should stay on top of the cleaning, particularly in roadways or areas where vehicles and pedestrians need to pass. This will help prevent problems and injuries.

Provide Safety Training

To ensure your employees stay safe, it’s best to ensure they have been carefully trained and taught how to act on a site where demolition is taking place. This will help them avoid common mistakes and will set out the guidelines everyone should follow in order to remain safe. Follow up training may help upgrade their knowledge.

Handle Traffic Movement

You’ll need to plan ahead for any type of movement around the demolition site. People walking and driving will need to be managed to avoid any possible injuries. You should take extra precautions to ensure people can move about easily and safely, such as adding walkways and covered areas. Plan to avoid rush hours, as well, to reduce the amount of time traffic will be stopped or detoured.

Demolition requires some planning ahead. You’ll need to ensure that not only are the workers safe, but also the public. Tearing down buildings may be done by machinery or explosives, but either way, it’s important to have every detail planned out and safety procedures followed.

Need a demolition crew to handle a job for you? Contact Gowrie Contracts to learn how we can help.