(OSHA) Recent fatalities serve as reminder to ensure worker safety during demolition

Demolition workers face many hazards, and employers must ensure that all workers involved in a demolition project are fully aware of hazards and safety precautions before work begins and as it progresses.

Recently, a 25-year-old construction worker in Chicago was struck and killed by pieces of falling concrete while conducting renovations on a shopping mall. OSHA’s Chicago North Area Office is investigating the incident. This latest tragedy follows the June 5, 2013, collapse of a four-story building undergoing demolition in Philadelphia that killed six people and injured 14. OSHA found several violations of its construction demolition standards and issued citations to two demolition companies.

OSHA’s demolition standards include requirements for employers to conduct engineering surveys before demolition work begins, provide personal protective equipment and provide appropriate training in a language and vocabulary that workers can understand. More information can be found on OSHA’s Demolition page and in the Construction Safety and Health Outreach Program demolition resource.

Source: OSHA