Safety First. That’s one of our mottos at Elder Demolition. Indeed, industrial demolition safety is our first priority. Across the industrial demolition services industry, working at elevated heights is a shared concern, as working at height accounts is one of the biggest causes of construction/demolition workplace fatalities and injuries.
Working at height describes any situation in which a person is:
–Working in an elevated workplace where falls could occur,
–Working near an opening in the floor into which a person could fall,
–Working near an open edge, or
–Working near a fragile surface where someone could fall.
Working at height is a necessary risk in demolition. Portland to Poughkeepsie, demolition workers must often work in the above situations, as they remove building components. Over our decades of experience in the demolition field, we’ve amassed some excellent tips for staying safe when working at height.
Safety tips for Working at Height
- Avoid working at height if you can. When at all possible, work from the ground.
- If you cannot avoid working at height, prevent falls by working from an existing work zone that has been secured. Make sure that workers can safely access and exit the working at height location.
- When risk cannot be eliminated, minimize the distance and duration of a fall by using proper equipment.
- Check equipment to make sure it is strong and suitable for the job, and that it is well maintained. Make sure all of your employees who will be using the equipment are properly trained.
- Do not overload or overreach when working at height. These precarious moments are ripe for accidents.
- Take extra precautions when working on or near fragile surfaces.
- Consider your plan for emergency response and evacuation.
Competency, Common Sense, and Liability
There may be certain low-risk situations when common sense indicates that no additional precautions are needed, and labor laws provides for this to a certain extent. But legally, you must also make certain that only people with the proper training, knowledge, skills, and experience are assigned to tasks where working at height is required. Although training may occur on the jobsite, it is critical that only trained and competent workers are assigned to these tasks. Otherwise, your demolition firm will be liable if an accident should occur.
Safety at Elder
At Elder Demolition we are absolutely committed to providing a safe work environment. Workplace safety should be the foremost priority of any firm, but since our industrial demolition experience includes plants, paper mills, and other buildings with chemical or environmental hazards, we are especially committed to maintaining the highest standards of workplace and environmental safety. Our membership in Associated General Contractors gives us access to invaluable safety resources. We also require yearly fall protection training for all laborers, foremen, and operators (in addition to our extensive hazardous materials training). Finally, we test all employees’ health via physical evaluations and drug testing. This ensures all of our workers are physically and mentally ready to do their jobs safely.