Developing safety programs can be a grueling task; anyone who has set out with the goal of developing a new program or updating an existing one will understand the challenges. If you are in a specialized industry such as demolition/ dismantling in heavy industry, the hazards are varied and in many cases job-specific. A generic program may very well leave some very big holes in your coverage and still not specifically address the dangers you may face, while writing a safety program from scratch opens us up to missing seemingly small yet very important regulations or policies.
A good mix of in-house industry-specific programs and professional products can work very well. I find the more work we do in diverse industries, the more imperative putting together a simple yet adaptable program is. Having a good, solid program that takes most factors into consideration while covering all OSHA and industry standards is the goal. This can be refined to each specific situation in a variety of industries.
Using a modular program is also very helpful. Writing small segments that can be inserted into safety plans and site-specific safety programs can make writing a site-specific safety program much quicker. It will also give your on-site safety managers, supervisors and employees a consistent plan; they know what to expect on every job and won't have to change the way they work from one plant to the next.
Recently, we had a project where a written safety plan was required for each individual unit on a large demolition project. There were six separate units with two to three target hazards in each unit. Each unit and each target hazard required a written plan. By using a safety program broken into modules and developed for demolition-specific work, we could easily modify the safety plan into this specific situation.
Each time we start planning to take down a new unit or structure, it becomes rather simple: Write the basic demolition plan, and then insert the specific safety program module into the plan.
Here is a good example of the demolition of a structure with save vessels. We would start with a basic plan and basic modules of daily job safety analysis (JSA), daily permits, morning toolbox meetings and basic PPE. Then the structure would be separated from all utilities (insert isolation of utilities procedure). The save vessels would be separated from the structure (insert installation of fall protection cables, general fall protection, aerial lift program and rescue plan). The save vessels would be removed by crane (insert crane and lifting plan, rigging and maybe even critical lift modules). The structure would be separated from existing structures and dropped to the ground (torch and burning safety module, toppling and dropping structures). The remaining structure would be sheared with an excavator into manageably sized pieces and loaded out for recycling (motorized vehicles and heavy equipment operation). Clean up the site to contract specifications.
Understanding the client's expectations is a vital piece of the puzzle. Some clients expect a long, very detailed plan, while others only want a basic outline of our intentions. It is a good idea to err on the side of giving more information while not necessarily tying yourself to a specific plan that cannot be modified as conditions change. Also, daily JSAs are a good tool to address specific unanticipated hazards as the project progresses.
The key is to develop a good, comprehensive yet simple plan that is easily adaptable to a given situation. The demolition/ dismantling industry creates its own challenges and hazards. It is close to impossible to develop plans for every given situation, but as we encounter more diverse issues, it is much easier to put together modules that can be inserted. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel for each project.
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