Demolition JHA: hazards, controls and PPE.
Start from this template, add what's different on your site today, and have the crew sign.
| Hazards · Demolition |
|---|
| Unplanned collapse of walls or floors |
| Falling debris |
| Live utilities: power, gas, water |
| Asbestos, lead and silica |
Controls
- Competent person does an engineering survey before starting.
- Shut off, cap or control every utility. Tell the utility company.
- Test for asbestos and lead before demo; abate first.
- Check floors can hold the equipment and debris.
All 6 hazards and 7 controls → · 29 CFR 1926.850
Toolbox talk: Asbestos before demo
A starting point, not a finished JHA. Walk the site and have the competent person sign it.
Hazards
- Unplanned collapse of walls or floors
- Falling debris
- Live utilities: power, gas, water
- Asbestos, lead and silica
- Struck by equipment
- Falls through floor openings
Controls
- Competent person does an engineering survey before starting.
- Shut off, cap or control every utility. Tell the utility company.
- Test for asbestos and lead before demo; abate first.
- Check floors can hold the equipment and debris.
- Chutes or a barricaded drop zone for debris.
- Water for dust; follow the silica rules.
- Exclusion zone around the machine.
PPE
- Hard hat
- Safety glasses
- Respirator as required
- Puncture-resistant boots
- Work gloves
- Hearing protection
- High-vis vest (Class 2; Class 3 at night)
OSHA rules
29 CFR 1926.850 · 29 CFR 1926.852 · 29 CFR 1926.856 · 29 CFR 1926.1101 · 29 CFR 1926.62
Toolbox talk: Asbestos before demo
- Older pipe insulation, floor tile, roofing and mastic can hold asbestos.
- Get the survey before demo.
- Suspect material: stop and tell the super. Don't break it.
- Only trained abatement crews remove it.
The full talk, with questions for the crew →
A starting point, not a finished JHA. Walk the site, add what's different today, and have the competent person sign it.
Tomorrow, the crew signs it on one phone.
Dozer writes the JHA and the toolbox talk from what you say and what the cameras saw yesterday. The crew signs on the foreman's phone, and it files itself in the site's day.
- One JHA per task, per day, in under a minute
- The toolbox talk that matches the work
- Signatures on one phone, no clipboard
- Filed with the daily log, ready for an inspector
LIVE Toolbox talk · trench safety · 12 signed Photo is an AI-generated stand-in, not a customer site.
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Questions crews ask
What are the hazards of demolition?
Unplanned collapse of walls or floors. Falling debris. Live utilities: power, gas, water. Asbestos, lead and silica. Struck by equipment. Falls through floor openings.
What controls go in a demolition JHA?
Competent person does an engineering survey before starting. Shut off, cap or control every utility. Tell the utility company. Test for asbestos and lead before demo; abate first. Check floors can hold the equipment and debris. Chutes or a barricaded drop zone for debris.
What PPE is needed for demolition?
Hard hat, Safety glasses, Respirator as required, Puncture-resistant boots, Work gloves, Hearing protection, High-vis vest (Class 2; Class 3 at night). Add what your site and the task's SDS call for.
Which OSHA rules cover demolition?
29 CFR 1926.850; 29 CFR 1926.852; 29 CFR 1926.856; 29 CFR 1926.1101; 29 CFR 1926.62.
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