Demolition Work
AS 2601 · reg 36
Why it matters
Demolition reverses construction, and everything that made a structure stand up is now something that can come down on you. Unplanned collapse, live services, hidden asbestos, and falling debris all stack up at once. Demolition of a load-bearing structure is high risk work, and the plan and the sequence are what keep it controlled.
Hazards
- ⚠ Unplanned or premature structural collapse
- ⚠ Live electrical, gas, and water services still connected
- ⚠ Hidden asbestos and other hazardous materials
- ⚠ Falling debris and material outside the exclusion zone
- ⚠ Workers and mobile plant sharing the same ground
Controls and safe practices
- ✓ Plan and sequence the demolition to AS 2601 and work top-down unless engineered otherwise.
- ✓ Apply the hierarchy of controls (reg 36) and disconnect and prove all services dead before starting.
- ✓ Check the asbestos register and hazardous materials survey before disturbing anything.
- ✓ Set and enforce exclusion zones for falling debris and use chutes for material.
- ✓ Separate workers on foot from demolition plant with barriers and spotters.
- ✓ Prop and support temporarily where the structure must stay up during the work.
Crew discussion questions
- What is the demolition sequence, and who signed off the plan?
- Are all services proven dead before we start?
- What did the asbestos and hazmat survey find?
- Where are the exclusion zones for falling material?
Applicable WHS citations
AS 2601, reg 36
Download the print-ready PDF with sign-on sheet
Free. We send the download plus a fresh talk every week. Unsubscribe any time.
Builder asking for your SWMS?
We generate your site-specific Safe Work Method Statement in minutes, verified against your state's WHS legislation.
Build your SWMS for A$39More toolbox talks
- Heat and Fatigue
- Ladder Safety
- Asbestos Awareness
- Working Around Mobile Plant
- Manual Handling and Your Back
- Noise and Your Hearing