Introduction
From 2009 to 2013, OSHA issued nearly 1,000 citations for violations of OSHA's construction demolition standards.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in its ANSI A10.6-1983 - Safety Requirements For Demolition Operations states:
"No employee shall be permitted in any area that can be adversely affected when demolition operations are being performed. Only those employees necessary for the performance of the operations shall be permitted in these areas."
"Demolition workers face many hazards and their lives should not be sacrificed because of deliberate neglect of demolition fundamentals," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "Employers must ensure that all workers involved in a demolition project are fully aware of hazards and safety precautions before work begins and as it progresses."
Demolition work involves many of the same hazards associated with construction work. However, demolition also poses additional hazards due to unknown factors such as: deviations from the structure's original design, approved or unapproved modifications that altered the original design, materials hidden within structural members, and unknown strengths or weaknesses of damaged materials.
To counter these unknowns, all personnel involved in a demolition project need to be fully aware of these types of hazards and the safety precautions available to control these hazards. This Safety & Health course includes information on demolition safety and the elements of a demolition safety program, as detailed in 29 CFR 1926, Subpart T - Demolition.
Course Objectives
| ID | Objective |
|---|---|
| TO 1.0 | Achieve a minimum score of 70% on the final course assessment. |
| LO 1.1.1 | Describe the steps in preparing for demolition operations. |
| LO 1.2.1 | Describe safety considerations regarding fire prevention, medical services and security during demolition activities. |
| LO 1.3.1 | Describe the primary hazards associated with building demolition. |
| LO 1.4.1 | Describe the requirements, hazards, and safe practices associated with the demolition of pre-stressed concrete structures. |
| LO 1.5.1 | Describe requirements, hazards, and safe practices associated with special structures demolition. |
| LO 1.6.1 | Describe precautions to take when removing debris and performing cleanup activities. |
| LO 1.7.1 | Discuss controlling exposure to asbestos, lead, and silica exposure during demolition. |
| LO 1.8.1 | Describe the health hazards and safe work practices associated with exposure to lead. |
| LO 1.9.1 | Describe the hazards and safe work practices associated with exposure to silica. |
Key: Terminal Objective (TO), Learning Objective (LO)