1. PURPOSE
The purpose and objective of this health and safety document are to identify the hazards, risks, and requirements for the dismantling and demolition operations/work activity.
2. SCOPE
The scope of this health and safety technical guidance document is as follows:
- General Requirements
- Surveys and Inspections
- Demolition Plan
- Lock, Tag, Try, and Test
- Structures Subject to Collapse
- Hazardous Materials
- Ongoing Inspection
- Barricading
- Access
- Temporary Bracing
- Equipment
- Housekeeping
- Materials Disposition
- Blasting
- Project Conclusion
3. APPLICATION
This practice applies to work activities and employees under the control of [Company/Organization] and its contractors.
4. DEFINITIONS
Competent Person - One who can identify existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has the authorization to take reactive and initial corrective initiatives to eliminate/eradicate them.
5. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Demolition will start at the top of a structure and progress downward. Stairways and other accessways will be inspected and maintained if possible and will be lighted and maintained in a safe condition.
A. Contractor Selection Criteria
The Site dismantling and demolition normally require the expert services of contractors specializing in dismantling and demolition operations. Those competent, expert, and approved contractors may, in turn, use sub-contractors and hire special equipment to satisfactorily perform any demolition.
Those responsible for selecting demolition contractors must ensure that an appropriately experienced company is engaged.
To protect the interest of [Client/Main and or Sub-Contractor] selection criteria must include the contractor’s ability to manage the safety and environmental impact of its operations. If a trade organization regulates or represents dismantling and demolition contractors in a particular country, Site Management should ask members of that body to submit tenders. Management should also carry out a pre-contractual evaluation of potential candidates concerning safety and environmental awareness and competence, as well as relevant experience and incident statistics. When possible, onsite visits to locations where candidates are working should be arranged.
Refer to Attachment 02 for an example of questions that should be asked of contractors before selection.
After demolition begins, technical or commercial factors may require changes to the original plan. The contract terms should delineate the principal contractor’s responsibility to inform Site Management in advance of any proposed modification. Site Management should then approve any acceptable modification.
Once demolition begins, site management and the contractor must meet at least once each week to monitor progress. Any problems that may have arisen during the previous week should be resolved during these meetings. The proposed work plan for the coming week should be reviewed and relevant safety or environmental control aspects highlighted. Meeting minutes should be issued to all attendees as quickly as possible after each meeting to ensure that all action items are completed.
In addition to weekly coordination meetings, Site Management should safeguard its interests by monitoring the contractor’s performance. Matters to be monitored, either by written agreement with the contractor or through the contract itself, including the following:
- Right of access to the site by representatives
- Frequency of safety reviews and method of reporting
- Grounds for halting work and procedures for resolving disputes over HSE-related‑matters
- Defining responsibilities of all parties for dealing with emergencies
Where appropriate, each contract should incorporate provisions that enable [Company/Organization] to terminate a contractor’s services and the services of employees or subcontractors in the event of unsatisfactory HSE performance.
Site Management should require documentary evidence of the following:
- Current and valid certificates of periodic examination of cranes, lifting tackle, air receivers, and other critical equipment
- Trained, experienced vehicle drivers
- Reporting program for accidents and incidents
- Ongoing, adequate monitoring of employees exposed to toxic or radiation hazards, including any evidence required of satisfactory initial medical examination; hazards include lead, asbestos, and X-ray
- Correct use of personal protective equipment
- Safe treatment and disposal of hazardous substances
- Observance of agreed working hours; shift changes should be coordinated so that adequate safety, medical, and fire coverage is always available
- Appropriate safe work practices for handling debris, fumes, dust, and spillages to minimize risk to personnel in adjacent areas
- The correct use of scaffolding, ladders, chutes, cranes, hoists, vehicles, and cutting equipment
B. Monitoring Project Performance
Before demolition begins, Site Management, contractors’ site representatives, and where appropriate, local HSE authorities should meet to address the proposed plan of work and any HSE management features of the contract.
6. SURVEYS AND INSPECTIONS
A. Initial Survey
Before starting any dismantling or demolition operations (such as structures, piping, walls, and floors), a Competent Person must /survey the possibility of unplanned collapse. Competent Persons are designated following the Code of Practice, HSE General Requirements.
Those assigned the responsibility of planning must ensure that appropriate permits are issued.
The survey will aid in determining the nature and extent of hazards and facilitate the creation of an appropriate tender document. During the survey subsequent phases of the project, the Competent Person should be assisted by personnel familiar with such processes as electrical services, isolation systems, drains, methods of cleaning or shutting down contaminated plants, and interaction with third parties in the case of pipelines and jetties.
The survey must include the condition of the structure to be demolished as it pertains to framing, floors, walls, risk of unplanned collapse, and any adjacent structure where employees may be exposed to risk. Work will be so planned that no employee will cut beams that support his work platform.
The Competent Person performing the survey will provide a written report to the Site Manager or designee. The survey report becomes the basis for developing a demolition plan.
B. Ongoing Inspections
A Competent Person will continually inspect the structure to ensure the stability of the remaining columns and walls where employees are working.
7. DEMOLITION PLAN
Once a firm directive of demolition has been issued, a written plan outlining the specific sequence of events for demolition must be prepared. This plan must be approved by the management team overseeing the project and reviewed by the HSE Representative before demolition work begins. The final demolition plan may not be deviated from unless a safer method of demolition is discovered and reviewed and approved by the original plan approvers. Any changes must be documented in the plan.
All planned lifts must be reviewed to determine which may qualify as “critical lifts.”
All critical lifts must conduct following the Code of Practice, Administrative Practice for Rigging and, Cranes and Rigging — Operations (work site-Specific).
Th Demolition Operation Plan will encircle and highlights items such as the following:
- Precisely define the scope of work.
- Identify each process material or service to be isolated and specify the method of isolation. All pipe work, ducting, and cables, both above and below ground, must be considered.
- Identify all hazardous substances that should be removed under supervision before demolition commences. Specialist contractors may be required to safely remove asbestos, lead compounds, and sludge.
- Critically examine systems and procedures for controlling hot work.
- Note any limiting conditions or circumstances that a contractor might need to be aware of to prepare a tender. Such conditions include limits on work hours, permit system operations, and special environmental considerations.
- Specify requirements for initial medical examination of all contractor employees, especially if site cleanup involves burning lead or lead-coated materials.
- These precautions are intended to place most of an installation into a clean state, from oil, gas, and other residues, and reduce the possibility of incidents arising through errors.
8. LOCK, TAG, TRY, AND TEST
As directed in the Code of Practice, Hazardous Energy Control, all electric, gas, steam, or other process or utility lines must be identified, verified at the source before capping/blinding, or otherwise cut before any work is begun.
9. STRUCTURES SUBJECT TO COLLAPSE
Where personnel are required to enter structures that are subject to collapse due to ongoing demolition work, work areas must have adequate shoring in place to prevent untimely collapse. Structures will be inspected daily by a Competent Person, and inspections will be documented and filed.
10. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Asbestos or other toxic insulation materials, glass, and other hazardous materials must be removed, or otherwise ensured to be safe, before the start of general structural demolition.
Identification of the materials and the proper abatement/removal processes will be implemented.
Hazardous substances, process materials, and services include the following:
- Residual feedstocks, process materials, and products in pipelines, piping and equipment, and storage vessels and drains
- Catalyst materials in process vessels
- Residual chemical stocks in treatment systems
- Surface deposits such as lead in tankage, pyrophoric iron, and vanadium in fired heaters and boilers
- Insulation materials, particularly asbestos
- Electrical, water, steam, compressed air, and any other services unnecessary for any remaining activities
- Interconnecting piping such as flare or blowdown systems
- All sources of ionizing radiation
- The disposal of materials will be following applicable standards.
11. BARRICADING
While starting and proceeding to the dismantling and demolition work activity, openings and unprotected vents in elevated workplaces will be safeguarded with proper and strong barricades. Where debris is dropped through floor openings or walls to the ground below, chutes will be used to control flying debris, dust, and other hazards. Chute openings will be protected, and gates provided to close chutes when the discharge end is not protected. Single-story drop areas will be barricaded with a clear area around them proportional to the height from which materials are dropped.
12. ACCESS
Entrances to the building will be covered with sheds or canopies designed to allow employees safe access and provide overhead protection from falling debris. They will extend at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) away from the structure and be at least 2 feet (0.6 meters) wider than the entrance and capable of withstanding a loading of 5 lb./sq. ft.
All other access ways will be barricaded.
Safe, temporary access ways to all work areas will be provided where permanent access ways are removed.
13. TEMPORARY BRACING
During the dismantling & demolition operation, walls and other structures involved in the demolition left standing must be enough strong self-support or will be stored appropriately. Wind loading will be factored in as required.
No cement or masonry walls will be knocked down onto above-ground floors unless they are designed to handle the anticipated impact loading.
Skeleton steel will be dismantled tier by tier and no lower load-bearing members cut until upper stories are removed. The steel left behind will be self-supporting or will be safely and strongly braced.
Structural supports and beams left up will be cleared of loose materials as demolition progresses downward.
14. EQUIPMENT
Dismantling and or Demolition of light or heavy machinery and equipment will meet essential crane and heavy equipment safety requirements.
The demolition ball will not exceed 50 per cent of the crane's rated capacity at specified boom length/angle and will not exceed 25 per cent of the line-breaking strength.
The ball will be connected by a swivel-type attachment.
15. HOUSEKEEPING
Debris and trash will be continually wetted to keep dust levels down.
Trash and debris will be removed daily to minimize fire hazards and maximize safe access to, and egress from, the work area.
Hazardous materials will be separated and disposed of following applicable standards.
16. MATERIALS DISPOSITION
The environmental impact of the demolition material may be considerable; therefore, Site Management should seek the advice of professional environmental services where necessary.
- Environmental issues to be considered include the following:
- Dumping rubble or potential spillage of material
- Potential traffic hazards while in transit
- Disposal of contaminated soil and sludge
- Cutting up and removing plant components
- Burning wood and other combustibles, considering possible toxic fumes from contaminants
- Draining lakes and reservoirs and pumping out sumps, tanks, and drains
- Filling shafts, pits, trenches, sumps, and tunnels
- Removing or making safe underground pipework, cabling, foundations, and piling
- Removing superstructure and piling from jetties
- Access to and method of excavating cross-country pipelines, particularly where they cross rivers, roads, railways, and utilities
- Landscaping, regrading, and reinstating land or fences for cross-country pipelines
- Transporting or towing heavy plants or structures to another site or location for breaking
17. BLASTING
Refer to Code of Practice, Drill and Blast Operations.
18. PROJECT CONCLUSION
After demolition operations, [Company/Organization] should perform a final HSE review with the contractor to determine whether the site is ready for a new owner or can be left without further attention. Careful supervision of the contractor during the final phases of a project is required to ensure that safe conditions are established before the contractor leaves the site.
