Demolition undertaken

Fifteen years after purchasing the Cos Cob power plant site from the state, the Town of Greenwich had undertaken many of the steps necessary to move redevelopment at the site forward. The town had already performed multiple limited environmental assessments and cleaned up some of the most obviously contaminated areas within the site, tom down buildings and other structures contaminated with asbestos and other materials that threaten human health, and achieved a high degree of community consensus that the site should be converted for recreational use. The cleanup and demolition actions had cost the Town of Greenwich close to 2 million, yet the site still needed to be fully assessed, cleaned up, and readied for reuse. 

Demolition is a highly dangerous process and should only be undertaken by specialists with the appropriate qualifications and experience. Guidance can be obtained from ... 

Postoperational Stage when demolition, decommissioning, or reusing/rebuilding operations are undertaken. 

If demolition or refurbishment is to be undertaken, then hazards associated with structural collapse, fire, working at height, lifting and carrying and electricity must be considered together with health hazards from lead, asbestos, vermin and insects. As mentioned in Chapter 10, a structural survey before work commenced should reduce the risk of unintentional structural collapse. The issue of hot work permits, provision of fire-fighting equipment and suitable storage facilities for flammable substances should control the fire risk. Health risks can be controlled, for example, by the use of licensed contractors for the removal of asbestos, specialist contractors to eradicate vermin and the provision of suitable personal protective equipment. 

Deliberate burning of structures must not be used as a method of demolition. The burning of any waste materials, such as timber, on demolition sites must not be undertaken without the approval of the relevant local authorities. 

When welding or cutting at the demolition site, sparks will present afire hazard. Any flammable materials should be identified and fire risks assessed before this type of work is undertaken. 

A demolition survey to identify any potential fire and explosion risks together with other risks must be undertaken. This should assist in ... 

Refurbishment work represents some 42% of UK construction activity overall and it is generally considered to be more hazardous than new build construction. Until such time as reliable data of refurbishment accidents becomes available, it can be assumed that at least half of all construction accidents probably occur during refurbishment projects. The practical aim of the Guide is to provide a more secure framework for decisions and procedures to reduce these accidents and injury, not only while refurbishment work is being undertaken, but also during the subsequent periods of building use, re-use, refitting and modification, and when further refurbishments and adaptations are undertaken, until the time of demolition. 

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