Risk Assessments · Mandatory · Pre-Construction

RAMS — Demolition

This RAMS addresses demolition works including structural surveys, asbestos checks, utility isolation, dust suppression, and controlled collapse sequences. Demolition must be planned and carried out under the supervision of a competent person. Pre-demolition surveys must identify hazardous materials, structural integrity issues, and adjacent property risks.

Last reviewed: 29 March 2026 — This guide reflects UK law as of this date. MHSWR 1999 / CDM 2015 remains current with no amendments enacted as of 29 March 2026. Next scheduled review: 29 March 2027.

Legal basis	MHSWR 1999 Regulation 3 + CDM 2015 + Building Act 1984 s80
CDM 2015	Demolition is construction work — all CDM duties apply. F10 notification required where thresholds are met.
Who	Principal Contractor / specialist demolition contractor, typically an NFDC member
Demolition sequence	Must be designed and reviewed by a structural engineer
Asbestos	Refurbishment and Demolition (Type R) survey mandatory before demolition under CAR 2012
Local authority notice	6 weeks required under Building Act 1984 s80
Enforcing authority	Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

1. What It Covers

Demolition is the highest-risk category of construction work. It accounts for a disproportionate number of fatalities and serious injuries on construction sites, with deaths arising from uncontrolled structural collapse, asbestos exposure, falls from height, and strikes on live services. The HSE treats demolition work with particular scrutiny, and any project involving demolition — whether full or partial — attracts the full weight of CDM 2015 duties.

A demolition RAMS must go far beyond generic hazard identification. It must describe the specific demolition sequence, reference the structural engineer's assessment, confirm that asbestos and hazardous materials surveys have been completed and acted upon, and demonstrate that all services have been isolated and confirmed dead. The level of detail required reflects the severity of the consequences if anything goes wrong.

Demolition without a structural engineer's input is gambling with lives

Structures are not always built as drawn. Decades of alteration, extension, removal of internal walls, and ad-hoc strengthening change load paths in ways that are invisible from the outside. A structural engineer's assessment of the existing structure — including an intrusive survey where necessary — is the only reliable basis for determining how the building can be safely taken apart. Without it, the demolition sequence is guesswork.

2. Pre-Demolition Surveys and Actions

Before any demolition work begins, a series of surveys and preparatory actions must be completed. These are not optional enhancements — they are legal requirements or industry standards without which the demolition cannot proceed safely. The table below sets out the key pre-demolition requirements.

Survey / Action	What It Involves	Status
Structural survey	Assessment of the existing structure by a qualified structural engineer to determine load paths, stability, and safe demolition sequence	Mandatory — HSE requirement
Type R asbestos survey	Refurbishment and Demolition survey to identify all asbestos-containing materials within the structure before any intrusive or demolition works begin	Mandatory — CAR 2012
Hazardous materials survey	Identification of lead paint, PCBs, radioactive sources, contaminated land, biological hazards, and other non-asbestos hazardous materials	Mandatory where present
Services isolation confirmation	Written confirmation from each utility provider that gas, electricity, water, telecommunications, and drainage services have been permanently disconnected and made safe	Mandatory
Pre-demolition condition survey	Photographic and written record of the condition of adjacent structures, roads, and services to establish baseline condition before demolition vibration and impact	Strongly recommended
Local authority notice	Written notice to the local authority under Building Act 1984 s80 giving at least 6 weeks notice of intention to demolish	Mandatory

The client's duty — provide pre-demolition information

CDM 2015 requires the client to provide pre-construction information, which for demolition projects includes all existing surveys, structural drawings, asbestos registers, and service records. This information must be provided before appointing the demolition contractor, not after. A contractor cannot produce an adequate demolition RAMS without this information, and the client has a legal duty to ensure it is available.

3. Key Hazards

Demolition work presents a concentration of high-severity hazards that are rarely encountered together in other construction activities. Each hazard demands specific controls, and the RAMS must address every one in the context of the particular structure being demolished.

Hazard	Who Is at Risk	Risk Factors	Controls
Uncontrolled structural collapse	Demolition operatives, adjacent workers, public	Unknown load paths, unauthorised structural modifications, premature removal of key elements, wind loading on partially demolished structures	Structural engineer assessment, designed demolition sequence, exclusion zones, continuous monitoring by competent person, propping and temporary works where required
Falls from height	Demolition operatives, plant operators	Working on partially demolished floors, unstable edges, openings created during demolition, deteriorated structural elements	Specialist scaffold design for demolition loading, edge protection to progressive demolition face, harness systems where scaffold impractical, safe means of access at all stages
Falling materials	Demolition operatives, adjacent workers, public	Debris from mechanical demolition, loose materials dislodged by vibration, premature collapse of sections ahead of planned sequence	Exclusion zones with physical barriers, debris netting and fans, controlled demolition sequence, banksman for all machine operations, public protection measures
Asbestos fibre release	All site personnel, adjacent occupiers, public	Unidentified ACMs disturbed during demolition, incomplete removal before mechanical demolition, damaged encapsulation, windborne fibre spread	Type R survey completed and acted upon before demolition, licensed removal of all identified ACMs, air monitoring during and after removal, clearance certificate before mechanical demolition proceeds
Services strike	Demolition operatives, plant operators, public	Live services not disconnected, uncharted services, temporary supplies still connected, adjacent services damaged by demolition activity	Written isolation confirmations from all utility providers, CAT and Genny survey, trial holes to confirm service routes, protection of retained services in adjacent properties
Silica and demolition dust	Demolition operatives, adjacent workers, public	Cutting concrete and masonry generates respirable crystalline silica, general demolition dust affects respiratory health and visibility	Dust suppression with water, damping down of debris, RPE for operatives, continuous dust monitoring at site boundary, sheeting and screening of demolition face

4. Common Mistakes

Starting demolition without a structural engineer's assessment

The demolition sequence must be designed by a structural engineer who has assessed the existing structure. Relying on the demolition contractor's experience alone is not sufficient — structures are frequently modified over their lifetime, and load paths may not correspond to the original drawings. Without a structural assessment, the sequence is based on assumption rather than evidence.

Proceeding with mechanical demolition before asbestos has been fully removed

All asbestos-containing materials identified in the Type R survey must be removed by a licensed contractor and a clearance certificate issued before mechanical demolition begins. Starting demolition with asbestos still in place risks uncontrolled fibre release affecting operatives, adjacent occupiers, and the public. This is one of the most serious regulatory breaches and attracts significant enforcement action.

Services not confirmed as isolated before work begins

Verbal assurances that services have been disconnected are not sufficient. Written confirmation must be obtained from each utility provider confirming permanent disconnection. Gas, electricity, water, telecommunications, and drainage must all be confirmed dead. A services strike during demolition can be fatal and frequently results in prosecution.

RAMS does not describe the demolition sequence

A demolition RAMS that lists generic hazards without describing the specific sequence in which the structure will be taken apart is inadequate. The RAMS must set out the order of demolition, the methods to be used at each stage, the temporary works required, and the points at which stability checks will be carried out. The sequence must reflect the structural engineer's assessment.

Standard scaffold used without specialist demolition design

Scaffolding used during demolition is subject to loadings that standard scaffold designs do not account for — including lateral impact from demolition activity, debris loading, and dynamic forces from machine operations. Scaffold for demolition must be specifically designed for the purpose, with calculations that account for the demolition method and sequence. Using a standard scaffold specification is a common and dangerous shortcut.

5. Frequently Asked Questions

Does CDM 2015 apply to demolition work?▾

Yes. Demolition is explicitly defined as construction work under CDM 2015. All CDM duties apply in full, including the appointment of a principal designer and principal contractor where the project involves more than one contractor. An F10 notification to the HSE is required where the project exceeds the notification thresholds. There are no exemptions for demolition — it is treated as one of the highest-risk categories of construction work.

Is the 6-week notice under s80 of the Building Act a CDM requirement?▾

No. The 6-week notice requirement comes from section 80 of the Building Act 1984, not from CDM 2015. It is a separate legal obligation requiring anyone intending to demolish a building to give the local authority at least 6 weeks written notice. Failure to serve the notice is a criminal offence under the Building Act. It runs alongside CDM requirements but is enforced by the local authority, not the HSE.

Can the demolition contractor produce their own RAMS without a structural engineer?▾

The demolition contractor produces the RAMS, but the demolition sequence within it must be based on a structural engineer's assessment of the existing structure. The contractor brings practical demolition expertise; the structural engineer brings the analysis of how the building will behave as elements are removed. Both inputs are essential. A RAMS produced without structural engineering input will not satisfy HSE expectations for anything beyond the simplest of structures.

What qualifications are needed for demolition work?▾

Demolition operatives should hold a valid CSCS Demolition card, which requires an NVQ Level 2 in Demolition. Supervisors should hold SSSTS or SMSTS. The demolition contractor should be a member of the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) or demonstrate equivalent competence. Plant operators must hold the relevant CPCS or NPORS certification for each item of plant they operate. The appointed person for any crane operations must hold the appropriate AP qualification.

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