Demolition

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994

The following health and safety issues should be considered when carrying out Demolition:

• Falls from height
  Loose and/or unstable material, access and inadequate support.
• Falls through fragile material
  Roof materials.
• Live services
  Underground services, overhead cables or fixed plant on site.
• Collapse of excavations
  Buried obstructions, underground voids, unexpected ground conditions, water table.
• Uncontrolled collapse
  Structural stability of partially demolished building.
• Noise/vibration/dust
  Breaking up of building fabric with mechanical breakers, asbestos, and silica.
• Flooding/fire/explosion
  From underground or above ground services.
• Health hazards
  Toxic waste, decomposing materials causing gaseous emissions, asbestos, microbiological agents.
• Manual handling
  Heavy items of building fabric.

Underpinning

• Structural instability
  Inadequate stability of the structure and risk to workers and occupants of the building.
• Crushed/trapped
  Narrow spaces and low headroom for manoeuvring heavy plant and materials.
• Manual handling
  Handling of casings, reinforcement, trench sheets and concrete in confined spaces.
• Working environment
  Noise, vibration, fumes, use of tools in confined spaces.
• Buried/overhead services
  Gas, electricity, water. Risk of damage by drilling, pile driving, impact, vibration, settlement.
• Health hazards
  Contact with contaminated arisings/groundwater, cement, concrete, adhesives, dust and fumes.
• Collapse of excavations
  Insufficient support resulting in collapse with risk of entrapment or falls, sudden inflow of water/flooding.