Our commercial scaffolding services cover various needs, from new construction to repairs of existing buildings. But our safety expertise is of greatest value when it comes to using scaffolds for demolition work.
Some people like to think of demolition as being a spectacular affair using explosives to blow up old chimneys or towers. However, most demolition work is on a smaller scale and much of it takes place in built-up areas, where buildings have to be taken down piece-by-piece.
An example of this is the Grenfell Tower in London, scene of the fatal fire disaster in 2017, which is being taken down gradually. The building has been covered in tarpaulin and a huge scaffold erected to assist in the gradual dismantling of the tower.
Most projects will be much smaller than Grenfell, but it is still important that it is carried out on schedule and, most importantly, safely. We can offer the expertise to do this.
What Are The Health And Safety Regulations For Scaffolding Use In Demolition?
Some of this will be based on long-standing health and safety law, but while the Health and Safety at Work Act dates back to 1974, the most specific regulations are the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Elements of this include:
- A responsibility for the principal contractor to “plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety” while work takes place.
- Other contractors have similar responsibilities for all areas of work (including demolition) they are responsible for.
- Individual workers, including scaffolding workers, have a duty to report any potential safety issues they observe.
The Health and Safety Executive guidance contains details for the use of scaffolding such as:
- Using a scaffold will not reduce the extent of exclusion zones around the building.
- Top-down demolition when using scaffolds is recommended as the safest and easiest method to control.
- Scaffolding is not to be used to support structures unless it is specifically designed for this purpose.
Demolition work is never free of hazards, but if you need a scaffold to help with carrying it out, we can offer this with full knowledge of the rules that are in place to make the process as safe as possible.
