OSHA teams up with demo association
19 January 2024
OSHA, the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Demolition Association (NDA) have renewed a partnership agreement, that aims to improve the safety and health of workers in the demolition industry.
The five-year agreement will see the organisations work together on the development of safety and health training resources.
The resources will include seminars that focus on hazards in the deconstruction and dismantling sector, addressing risks that arise during the selective dismantling of building components for reuse, repurposing, recycling and waste management.
In a joint statement, the organisations said: “Demolition work involves many of the hazards associated with construction, but includes additional hazards from unknown factors, such as changes or modifications that alter the original design, materials hidden within structural components, and unknown strengths or weaknesses of construction materials, as well as hazards created by the demolition methods used.”
As part of the collaboration, the NDA and OSHA will also work with labour organisations, contractors and staffing associations, “to share information in multiple languages and formats on a variety of topics including fall and heat illness prevention, recognizing hazardous materials, construction safety and protecting temporary workers”.
Since the organisations first partnered up in July of 2021, the alliance between the two has seen the development of several products designed to aid the demolition and dismantling industry.
These including a document on managing predictable hazards when preparing for and implementing power plant demolition; guidelines for signage and door hanger use when notifying residential communities that will be impacted by demolition work; and a podcast featuring OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Jim Frederick.
News of the partnership renewal comes as the NDA, which represents over 400 demolition and dismantling contractors and specialists, gears up for its annual convention and expo.
NDA San Antonio will take next month and, with the association celebrating its 50th anniversary, it is set to be the most well-attended event in its five-decade-long history.
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