OSHA Renews Agreement to Protect Construction and Demolition Workers, Focus on Waste Management

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Demolition Association have extended their alliance to enhance the safety and well-being of workers in the demolition industry.

This renewed five-year collaboration aims to address industry hazards through the development of safety and health training resources and seminars. These initiatives will specifically target the deconstruction and selective dismantlement of building components for reuse, repurposing, recycling and waste management.

The alliance is set to engage with labor organizations, contractors, and staffing associations, ensuring the dissemination of information in multiple languages and formats.

Key topics covered include fall and heat illness prevention, recognition of hazardous materials, construction safety, and the protection of temporary workers.

In the past two years, the alliance has produced various projects including a guide on managing predictable hazards during power plant demolition, guidelines for effective communication with residential communities impacted by demolition and a podcast featuring OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, Jim Frederick.

Demolition work entails risks associated with construction, compounded by uncertainties such as alterations to the original design, hidden materials within structural components, and unknown strengths or weaknesses of construction materials.

Source: OSHA