Important Demolition Safety Precautions for Your Site

Any time you’ve got demolition work happening at a job site, it’s important to take all the proper safety precautions. With this in mind, here are some safety tips from a team of trusted demolition contractors in Toledo, OH:

• Take proper asbestos precautions: Any time you’re demolishing a building that was constructed in the days when asbestos was still commonly used, there are special precautions you’re going to have to take to prevent the contraction of mesothelioma. Asbestos surveys can help you determine the existence of asbestos at a job site, and there might be certain demolition practices you’ll need to follow to be more careful around these asbestos-laden projects.
• Use the proper safety equipment: Demolition contractors must wear at least five-part personal protective equipment at all times. That five-part set includes a hard hat, safety goggles, a high-visibility jacket or vest, safety gloves and steel-toe boots. Remember, this is just the minimum standard for safety apparel—there are also welding masks, face masks, fire-proof overalls, Kevlar gloves and plenty of other safety equipment and apparel you might find beneficial to use at a demolition site.
• Make sure everyone has sufficient training: Demolition contractors should always undergo sufficient training and education before they head out on to a job site. Clients would do well to search for contractors who have a breadth of experience in the field and are highly qualified with various memberships and certifications.
• Keep the site clean: The cleaner the demolition site is, the safer it’s likely to be. Obviously, demolition is a messy business, but that doesn’t mean there doesn’t still need to be a focus on keeping the surrounding area as tidy as possible. Any materials from the site should be dealt with and disposed of appropriately.
• Keep traffic flow properly managed: There are going to be a lot of trucks and machines coming into and out of a demolition site. It’s important for the safety of everyone at that site that you have a traffic management plan in place so you don’t have to worry about the area getting overly clogged up with vehicles. Have gate workers on hand to assist with flow and traffic control, and make sure everyone abides by a strict 5 mph speed limit within a certain distance of the site, as there are going to be workers on foot all over the place.
• Manage your waste disposal: There’s going to be a lot of waste that comes out of a demolition project. As part of your risk management planning, you should also plan out how you’ll go about removing and disposing of waste. This should include the segregation and containment of certain materials, as well as determining whether any samples of waste will need to be taken away for chemical testing in a laboratory setting. Other materials might get recycled and reused, so you’ll have to determine what you’ll do with them.

For more safety tips, contact Klumm Bros. today to speak with our demolition contractors in Toledo, OH.

Categorised in: Excavation Company