al able to withstand the loads likely to be

imposed. Debris dropped through holes in

the floor without the use of chutes must be

completely enclosed with barricades not less

than 42 inches high and not less than 6 feet

back from the projected edge of the opening

above. Floor openings used for material disposal must not be more than 25% of the

total floor area. Use enclosed chutes with

gates on the discharge end to drop material

to the ground. Design and construct chutes

that will withstand the loads likely to be

imposed without failing.

Post signs at each level of structures, warning of

the hazard of falling materials. Protect entrances

to multi-story structures with sidewalk sheds or

canopies for a minimum of 8 feet. Canopies

must be at least 2 feet wider than the structure

entrance and be able to hold a load of 150

lbs./sq. ft. Storage of material and debris

must not exceed the allowable floor load.

Removing Walls and Masonry Sections

Demolition of exterior walls and floors must

begin at the top of the structure and proceed

downward. Masonry walls must not be permitted to fall on the floors of a building in

Preliminary Tasks 

A written engineering survey must be performed on each structure being considered for

demolition to determine the condition of the

framing, floors and walls, and to assess the

possibility of an unplanned collapse of any

portion of the structure. Brace or shore the

walls and floors of structures which have been

damaged and which employees must enter.

Inspect and maintain all stairs, passageways

and ladders. Properly illuminate all stairways.

Shut off or cap all electric, gas, water, steam,

sewer and other service lines outside the

building line. Notify appropriate utility companies. Temporarily relocate and protect any

essential power, water, or other utilities.

Determine the types of hazardous chemicals,

gases, explosives, and flammable materials

which have been used in any pipes, tanks, or

other equipment on the property. Test and

purge the hazardous chemicals, gases, explosives, or flammable materials. Survey for

asbestos or other hazardous materials. 

Guard wall openings to a height of 42 inches.

Cover and secure floor openings with materiFactSheet

Demolition and Cleanup

Before starting a demolition, the person or persons in charge must adequately

prepare for the task with regard to the health and safety of the workers. These

preparatory operations involve the overall planning of the demolition job, including the methods to be used to bring the structure down, the equipment necessary to do the job, and the measures to be taken to perform the work safely.

Before doing demolition work, inspect available personal protective equipment

(PPE), and select, wear and use the PPE appropriate for the task.

Demolition work involves many of the same hazards associated with construction work. However, demolition also poses additional hazards due to unknown

factors such as: deviations from the structure's original design, approved or

unapproved modifications that altered the original design, materials hidden within structural members, and unknown strengths or weaknesses of damaged materials. To counter these unknowns, all personnel involved in a demolition project

need to be fully aware of these types of hazards and the safety precautions available to control these hazards.
masses that would exceed the safe carrying

capacities of the floors.

No wall section, one story in height or higher,

shall be permitted to stand alone without lateral bracing, unless such a wall was originally

designed and constructed to stand without

such lateral support, and is safe enough to be

self-supporting. All walls must be left in a stable condition at the end of each work shift.

Employees shall not work on the top of a wall

when weather conditions create a hazard.

Structural or load-supporting members on

any floor must not be cut or removed until all

stories above such a floor have been removed.

In buildings of “skeleton-steel” construction,

the steel framing may be left in place during

the demolition of masonry. Walkways or ladders must be provided to enable workers to

safely reach or leave any scaffold or wall.

Walls, which serve as retaining walls to support earth or adjoining structures, must not

be demolished until the supporting earth has

been properly braced or until adjoining structures have been properly underpinned. Walls,

which will serve as retaining walls against

which debris will be piled, must not be used

unless they are capable of supporting the

imposed load. Dismantle steel construction

column length by column length, and tier by

tier.

This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies or 

standards. It does not impose any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of 

compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations, refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal

Regulations. This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.

The voice phone is (202) 693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: (877) 889-5627.

Mechanical Demolition

No workers shall be permitted in any area

when using a crane’s headache ball or clamshell to remove debris. Only those workers

necessary to perform such operations must

be permitted in this work area at any time.

The weight of the demolition ball must not

exceed 50 percent of the crane’s rated load.

The crane boom and loadline must be as

short as possible. The ball must be attached

to the loadline with a swivel-type connection

to prevent twisting of the loadline, and it

must be attached by positive means in such a

manner that the weight cannot become accidentally disconnected.

When pulling over walls or portions thereof,

all steel members affected must have previously been cut free. All roof cornices or

other such ornamental stonework must be

removed prior to pulling walls over. During

demolition, continuing inspections by a competent person shall be made as the work progresses to detect hazards resulting from

weakened or deteriorated floors, or walls, or

loosened material. No employee shall be permitted to work where such hazards exist until

they are corrected by shoring, bracing, or

other effective means.

U.S. Department of Labor

www.osha.gov

(800) 321-OSHA

For more complete information:

DOC 10/2005