Property owners may be held liable in case something goes wrong during the demolition of their properties. It is therefore important for you to be fully aware of everything that demolition contractors will do as they tear down your commercial property so that you can construct a new one in its place. This article discusses some important information that you should scrutinise before the demolition services begin.

Collapse Design Mechanism The selected demolition contractor should give you a detailed document stipulating how the building will be made to collapse. For example, what explosives will be used during that process? How will they test to ensure that the selected method will produce the desired results? How long will the process take? This information will enable you to rest assured that the contractor has thought through the techniques that have been selected for use during the demolition process.

Protection Details You should also pay attention to the plans that will be implemented to prevent the demolition exercise from having preventable adverse effects. For example, how will members of the public be protected from the air pollution that is likely to be triggered during the demolition exercise? How will adjacent buildings be protected from damage during the demolition work? What measures will be used to control access to the hazardous areas around the demolition zone? What steps will be implemented in order to prevent the disruption of utilities to the surrounding properties during the demolition? The contractor should provide details showing how every effort will be taken to avoid causing any adverse effects outside the demolition zone.

Contingency Plans It is also very important for you to review the contingency plans that have been made by the demolition contractor. For example, how will they contain any accidental fire that could break out during the demolition? How will the contractor deal with the possibility of the building collapsing in a way that wasn't anticipated or desired? How can injured workers be evacuated quickly during the project? How will equipment failures be dealt with so that the project can be completed on schedule? The contingency plans of the contractor should cover every conceivable mishap that could occur during the project. You may not have the technical expertise to make an informed decision about the appropriateness of the information that the contractor gives you. Ask an independent expert to go through those documents in case your area doesn't require those documents to be audited by an independent entity prior to the demolition work. Only allow the demolition exercise to begin once you are satisfied that the contractor's plan has catered for every eventuality.

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