4. CONTROLLING RISKS IN DEMOLITION WORK
• at the working level, each opening should be protected by an adequate vehicle buffer during the removal of debris by mobile plant, and guarded by suitable barriers at all other times. Vehicle buffers should be high enough to prevent the mobile plant from riding over them and solid enough to stop the fully loaded mobile plant, and
• at all levels below the working level, access to the area through or onto which material is falling should be prevented, either by sealing off the opening with guarding from floor to ceiling, or by erecting signs and barricades to prevent persons coming near the openings.
Debris chutes should be designed and constructed to prevent the spillage of material and dust and to minimise noise while debris is passing through the chute. Vertical chutes should be fully enclosed with a cover or barrier at the top to prevent a person falling into the chute. Debris chutes should be adequately secured to the building or structure and to ensure that debris falls freely and does not become jammed in shafts or chutes. Securing of the chute should take into consideration the weight of the chute plus the accumulated load.
Overhead demolition should cease during removal of the debris bins. Signs which warn of the risk from falling or ejected material should be placed at the discharge end of every chute.
4.7 Falls
Regulation 78
A person conducting a business or undertaking must manage the risk of a fall from one level to another that is reasonably likely to cause injury to the person or another person.
In managing the risks of falls, the WHS Regulations require the following control measures to be implemented where it is reasonably practicable to do so:
• eliminate the need to work at heights by performing work at ground level
• carry out the work on solid construction that includes a safe means of access and egress
• minimise the risk of fall by providing and maintaining a safe system of work including
• using fall prevention devices( for example, temporary work platforms and guard railing)
• work positioning systems( for example, industrial rope access systems), or
• fall arrest systems such as catch platforms.
Any construction work, including demolition work that involves a risk of a person falling more than 2 metres is high risk construction work and a SWMS must be prepared before this work commences.
FALL PREVENTION DEVICES A fall prevention device is any equipment that is designed to prevent a fall for temporary work at heights, and once in place does not require any further adjustment by workers using the device.
Fall prevention devices include perimeter guard rails, the protection of openings with solid covers and temporary work platforms.
Further information on the selection and use of fall prevention devices can be found in the Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces.
22 CODE OF PRACTICE | DEMOLITION WORK