Many people think that demolitions are as simple as taking a hammer to the walls, but accidents and mistakes can happen when procedures aren’t followed correctly, and you might wonder whether there is more to the life of a demolition contractor than throwing around a giant wrecking ball.
Although, just to clear things up, we don’t use a wrecking ball anymore due to it being hard to control and not as efficient. We want to demolish a structure as quickly, but as safely, as possible.
Standing amid rubble with ruined buildings crashing down around them, the job of a demolition contractor is actually less risky than it seems and takes a lot of expert knowledge, not to mention the ability to get used to the sounds of crushing concrete, banging and crashing.
A Typical Demolition Project Timeline:
-DIG IT picks up demolition project.
-Visit demolition site to begin planning and scheduling.
-Designate demolition contractors for each part of the project.
-Complete lots of paperwork including method statements, risk assessments, health and safety plan, environmental risk assessment, fire plan and site waste management plan, just to name a few.
-Apply for licences as needed for scaffolding, road closures, use of cranes, local council and developer forms etc.
-Communicate with residents or anyone nearby that would be affected by the demolition, ensuring they know the time-frame that they may be affected by noise, dust, vibrations and vehicle movements.
-Monitor emissions and the impact on the environment.
-Monitor any impact on the health and safety of staff.
-Inspect safety gear, machinery and equipment
-Perform asbestos assessment and conduct safe asbestos removal on site if needed.
-Ensure electricity, water and gas has been turned off before any work starts.
-Arrive on site and begin job, set up site necessities.
-Soft strip the buildings and ensure that everything that can be recycled or salvaged is, (such as door knobs, glass, handles, cabinetry, air conditioning etc) leaving only the structure behind.
-Carry out demolition plan.
-Salvage any material remaining and clean site thoroughly.
-Complete post-assessments and finalise project.
While projects may be more complicated than the above, you now have an idea on what our DIG IT team must go through, even before they arrive on a demolition site.
Our confident and experienced team of demolition experts will work directly with you and any on-site managers and engineers to get your project completed regardless of size, budget or complexity.
If you have a project coming up that is in need of demolition contractors, contact the team at DIG IT today.