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HOW TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL AND SAFE DEMOLITION PROJECT
In the demolition industry safety is the main concern as demolition is very complicated and involves high risk in terms of safety and cost. A minute deviation with respect to the timing of successive detonators, placement of detonators, and miscommunication can cause the demolition process to fail. Industrial Buyer caught up with Jet Demolition contracts manager Kate Bester to breakdown what safety measures are taken in demolitions and implosions projects.
What are some of the challenges companies don’t think about when it comes to demolition projects?
Kate Bester: One of the most common oversights on large-scale projects is determining up-front who takes liability for security of the site. The South African construction industry is facing ever-increasing work disruptions, which in turn puts plant and personnel at risk. A large-scale demolition project typically follows a mechanical approach, resulting in multiple large machines and attachments being present throughout the duration of the works. It is imperative to have a full-time, on-site security presence, in order to maintain the rule of law. The contractor and client must also ensure that the security personnel deployed to a project are adequately trained and have all requisite certifications in place.
Other costs relating to security include the provision of guard huts, suitable ablutions, relief personnel, travelling and transport allowances. These items often amount to a significant portion of the cost of work and must be adequately planned for.
Another vital consideration on largescale demolition projects relates to the treatment and handling of inert waste. Depending on where the project is located, suitable spoil facilities may not be available, and crushing may be needed to revert concrete rubble to a viable construction material. Irrespective of the end-use of the material, there is always a significant proportion of cost allocated to waste – albeit in the form of disposal costs, crushing costs, transport costs, or re-use in rehabilitation.
Please run us through some of the safety measures Jet Demolition takes when undertaking a demolition project?
The safety of persons is Jet Demolition’s primary concern. Our integrated safety management system is thus born from the perspective of preservation of life. Accordingly, a large influence on our systems and procedures relate directly to the management of human nature. A company can have the best systems in place, but if a company’s culture doesn’t align accordingly, the systems become redundant. Our philosophy of “My brother’s keeper” is evident on our sites, at our head office, and in our culture.
What are some of the challenges of implosions?
Implosions aren’t necessarily any more or less complicated than any other demolition project. The methods used in implosion execution are heavily dependent on a very high level of skill and precision planning, as are the vast majority of other more conventional demolition methods and types. It is important to remember that demolition depends, on the most part, on gravity. Understanding a structure, it’s environment, and the stresses it is subjected to, are critical to any method you choose to deploy, albeit mechanical or explosive.
What safety measures do you have for remediation projects which require radioactive decontamination?
Our safety protocols are based on international best practise and are very reliant on consultations with industry specialists and careful review and understanding of existing regulations. Our personnel are trained on an ongoing basis in the different risks and protective measures associated with the different types of working environments we are exposed to. We are very focussed on the correct use of high-quality PPE, but also on taking logical, practical and considered actions to protect ourselves through our behaviour. A behaviour-based approach is crucial to maintaining and ensuring the health and safety of our teams, and consistent application of rules and standard operating procedures assist in ensuring a company-wide, aligned approach to safety.
Can you take us through a recent successful project?
Our most recent large-scale implosion of three high-rise buildings in two days in Kochi, India, certainly had a lot of challenges to overcome in a very short period. We were fortunate to work with Edifice Engineering of Mumbai to undertake the rapid implosion of three large high-rise structures under court-order. These buildings presented unique challenges that were to be overcome in a very short space of time: It was our first project in India, the first high-rise structures to be imploded in India, and also the first time we had imploded three buildings within 24 hours. Despite the challenges on this project, their successful, safe implosion led to an immense work satisfaction at the end of the day, but certainly one of those projects that will remain in our thoughts for a while to come.
Jet Demolition www.jetdemolition.co.za
