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815 Demolition Safety
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Demolition Basics Program Elements

Demolition Defined

Demolition is the dismantling, razing, destroying or wrecking of any building or structure or any part thereof.

Heavy equipment tearing down a house
To combat the hazards associated with demolition work, it is important that the employer establish an effective Demolition Safety Program.

The method most widely used in building demolition is called mechanical demolition, which involves the use of specialized equipment such as excavators equipped with tools for crushing concrete and shearing steel.

High-rise structures may be brought down using implosion methods using specialized explosives. Finally, specialized demolition may require the use of hand-held pneumatic, hydraulic and electrical power tools to break up, cut, chip, and drill on smaller projects.

Demolition Safety Program

To combat the hazards associated with demolition work, it is important that the employer establish an effective Demolition Safety Program. Everyone at a demolition worksite must be fully aware of the hazards they may encounter and the safety precautions they must take to protect themselves and their employees.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

1-1. To combat the hazards associated with demolition work, what should the employer establish?