Importance of SWMS for Demolition
A safe work method statement (SWMS) is a document that sets out the construction activities that are to be carried out at workplaces that involve high risk, the hazards that generally arise from such activities and measures to be put, in order to control the risks. SWMS should be prepared by the PCUBs (persons conducting businesses or undertakings) for an identified HRCW (high-risk construction work), in relation to all construction work, regardless of the work cost.
The purpose of an SWMS for demolition
If you take the safest Construction Safety SWMS for demolition, this document would help you entail the entire strategic steps to be sincerely followed by demolition contractors to make sure that the structure or building being brought down does not do any harm to the environment and the people living nearby.
An SWMS is an extremely important document that outlines all the necessary safety procedures and also controls work on a demolition site. It is mostly used by building contractors, construction companies, and other various professionals for bringing down buildings safely.
Demolition SWMS not only covers hazards but also controls associated with strip-out of present premises for preparing it for demolishing a structure or building or refurbishment as well. This can include working at extreme heights on trestles, ladders, mobile openings, and scaffolds; removing unfixed items (cabinets, furnishings, appliances, rugs, etc.) timber/vinyl/carpet floor coverings removal; mirror/glazing removal; concrete/tile removal; supporting framework removing structural walls too. Here is a list of other various job steps covered in demolition SWMS, (includes control measures and potential hazards):
- Planning
- Working outdoors
- Provide proper training on Health Effects Associated with Respirable Crystalline Silica Dust
- Setting-up of work area
- Arrival on-site and accessing of on-site conditions
- Housekeeping
- Allocation of a suitable area for all the work of materials management site
- Manual tasks
- To work with non-powered and powered tools
- Removal of redundant cabling, ceiling, ceiling fittings, wall lining
- Hazardous chemical-substance use
- Emergency response
- On completion
Here are some primary hazards unique to demolition: (All these hazards are kept in mind when SWMS for demolition is prepared by a reliable company)
- Hazards that are created by the demolition technique used such as great exposure to excessive noise, dust, and vibration;
- Unapproved or approved modification’s which altered the structure’s original design;
- Unknown weaknesses or strengths of construction materials like the post-tensioned concrete;
- Modifications from a building’s or structure’s design being introduced at the time of construction;
- Various materials are hidden within some structural members, like asbestos, lead, silica, and other heavy metals or chemicals that need special or specific material handling.
Construction Safety SWMS for demolition is one of the best in this trade in Australia. All their safety and work health systems deliver a structured, efficient and understandable process for meeting all your compliance obligations. They make sure safety and health compliance processes are simple for you to follow and applied so that you could get on the job, without having to compromise the safety and health of yourself as well as your workers.