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Disaster Recovery - Working in structurally affected buildings

Following a natural disaster, there will be a wide variety of potential dangers facing those undertaking any work to repair, rebuild, or demolish buildings and structures.

For people working on or in building sites, the hazards they face change constantly – sometimes daily, or even hourly.  It is vital that complete hazard identification assessments are carried out by experienced personnel, and that hazard controls are clearly communicated to all workers.

What hazards could be encountered?

The following hazards should be considered in order to protect workers when working in a collapsed or structurally compromised building^[1]:

Physical Hazards	Environmental Hazards
exposed, live wiring (if electricity to the site has been restored)	water system breakages that may have flooded basement areas
Structural instability caused by liquefaction or flooding	insufficient oxygen (in confined spaces)
slip, trip or fall hazards from holes, protruding reinforcing rods, brittle floors, etc	Adverse weather conditions
being struck by a falling object	noise from equipment (generators, heavy machines)
fire	exposure to smoke and dust containing asbestos, silica, lead and other substances
proximity to heavy machinery such as cranes and diggers
secondary building collapse from aftershock, vibration or explosion
unfamiliar surroundings
Hazardous Substance Hazards	Biological Hazards
exposure to hazardous substances (e.g. ammonia, battery acid, leaking fuel,)	exposure to pathogens from sewage system breaks
natural gas leaks (if gas services have been restored to the site)

 

How should site hazard management be conducted?

1. Hazard identification should be both site-specific (relating to the building and its immediate environment) and task-specific (focussing on hazards created by the work process).
2. Identified hazards should be assessed for their potential as significant hazards. A hazard is significant if it has the potential to cause a person serious harm.
3. For every hazard identified, it should be determined if the hazard can be:
   1. eliminated altogether,
   2. isolated from the workers
   3. or minimised by safe work practice, training and by wearing protective clothing (as examples).
4. If the hazard can only be isolated or minimised, the actions needed to control the hazard should be listed on a hazard register (see example), whiteboard, or similar. Everyone working in that building or area must read, (or have explained to them) and understand:
   1. what the hazards are,
   2. where they are located, and
   3. how to protect themselves from harm^[2].
      

Tips for managing hazards at rapidly – changing sites:

• All workers should enter and leave the site at a specific place, so that the principal or employer in charge of the site knows who is there, and can verify that the workers have seen and understood the hazard register.
• Discuss emergency procedures with all workers before work commences; and at regular intervals:
  • devise an emergency signal for use if people need to stop work and leave the building immediately;
  • all workers must be familiar with safety procedures and the location of assembly areas and/or safe zones if aftershocks occur.
• The hazard register must be updated when conditions or work processes change. In some cases, it may be necessary to brief workers more than once throughout the work shift.
• High-risk hazards, e.g. building stability, hazardous substances, or working in confined spaces, should be assessed by trained specialists. This advice should be provided in writing if practicable.

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