3. PLANNING THE DEMOLITION WORK
3.2 Principal contractor
Where the value of construction work is $ 250 000 or more, the construction work is considered a‘ construction project’ for which additional duties apply to the principal contractor. There can only be one principal contractor for a construction project and this will be either the person commissioning the construction work or a person that is appointed as the principal contractor by the person commissioning the construction work.
The principal contractor has a range of duties in relation to a construction project, including:
• preparing and reviewing a WHS management plan
• obtaining SWMS before any high risk construction work commences
• putting in place arrangements to manage the work environment, including falls, facilities, first aid, an emergency plan and traffic management
• installing signs showing the principal contactor’ s name, contact details and location of any site office, and
• securing the construction workplace.
It is possible that the demolition contractor may be appointed as the principal contractor. This may occur, for example, where there is significant demolition work required and there is a clear separation or delay between the demolition activity and any subsequent building work. In this case the person who commissions the construction work may appoint the demolition contractor as the principal contractor, who must then comply with all the duties of a principal contractor until the demolition work is complete.
Further guidance on principal contractor duties is available in the Code of Practice: Construction Work.
3.3 Designers
Section 22
Regulation 295
Designers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the structure is designed to be without risks to the health and safety of persons in relation to the proper demolition or disposal of the structure.
The designer of a structure or any part of a structure that is to be constructed must give the person conducting a business or undertaking who commissioned the design a written report that specifies the hazards associated with the design of the structure that, so far as the designer is reasonably aware:
• create a risk to the health or safety of persons who are to carry out construction work on the structure or part, and
• are associated only with the particular design and not with other designs of the same type of structure.
This is particularly important with modern designs where‘ limit state’ design techniques are used by the structural designer. In this approach, the designer considers the structure in its completed form with all the structural components, including bracing, installed. The completed structure can withstand much higher loads( e. g. wind and other live loads) than when the structure is in the construction or demolition stage. With this in mind, it may be necessary for the designer to provide guidance to the demolisher on how the structure will remain standing as it is demolished or dismantled.
10 CODE OF PRACTICE | DEMOLITION WORK