HSE-Approved Demolition Worker RAMS Template

Premature collapse of floors, walls, or columns trapping or crushing demolition personnel.

Adhere strictly to a pre-approved sequence of demolition (top-down), install temporary shoring/bracing where required, and establish clear mechanical exclusion zones.

Inhaling toxic asbestos fibers or high-concentration respirable crystalline silica causing lung cancer or silicosis.

Conduct a comprehensive asbestos survey before starting, utilize professional wet demolition/suppression techniques, and mandate the wearing of FFP3 respirators/protective overalls.

Workers being struck by excavators, high-reach demolition rigs, or tipping trucks.

Enforce complete segregation of pedestrians and heavy machinery, mandate high-visibility clothing at all times, and employ trained marshals/banksmen for plant movements.

Accidental spark or ignition of severed live gas, fuel lines, or stored cylinders.

Verify 100% isolation of gas, electric, and water services prior to work, trace lines manually, and keep dry powder fire extinguishers at hand.

Demolition workers falling through pre-weakened concrete floors or down open lift shafts.

Install robust physical barriers and warning signage around all internal voids, lay heavy timber staging, and utilize safety harnesses.

Discarded drug needles, rodent infestations, or toxic pigeon guano (causing Psittacosis).

Carry out a pre-demolition clean-up/needle sweep, wear FFP3 RPE and disposable Tyvek overalls when handling pigeon guano, and disinfect cuts immediately.

Brick fragments, timber beams, or masonry parts launching outwards from active demolition zones and striking people.

Erect double-height perimeter hoarding, hang high-tensile debris nets, enforce safety helmets, and position watchmen to manage public access.

Prolonged exposure causing permanent occupational hearing loss or acoustic shock.

Mandate high-attenuation double ear protection (earplugs + defenders EN352), acoustic enclosures on plant, and restrict operations to designated hours.

Severe nerve, joint, and circulatory damage in forearms and hands from continuous jackhammer use.

Install vibration-dampening grips, establish strict trigger time logs (max 2 hours daily per person), and provide heated hand warming stations.

Puncture wounds or lacerations from jagged rusty metal reinforcing rods, structural steel shards, or broken window panes.

Wear EN388 level E cut-resistant mechanical safety gloves, and heavy-duty safety boots fitted with steel mid-sole puncture protection.

Thermal skin burns, slag splatters, or eye injuries from hot steel cutting or gas-welding.

Wear full leather protective clothing (welding coat, gauntlets, spats), use shaded cutting goggles (shade 5), and clear all flammable materials within 10 meters.

Inadequate oxygen levels, build-up of explosive fuel gases, or sudden wall cave-ins trapping workers inside.

Perform pre-entry atmospheric gas testing, set up continuous forced air ventilation, and mandate safety harness lines with a rescue buddy on winch watch.