First, describe the work and worksite
A fictional renovation crew plans to remove a short interior masonry partition at ground level in an unoccupied work bay. The teaching assumption is that it is intended to be non-load-bearing, but that assumption must be confirmed through the demolition engineering survey before work. Adjacent rooms remain outside the work boundary. The example covers controlled removal using selected hand and power tools, followed by debris handling. It excludes load-bearing alterations, whole-building collapse, explosives, roof removal and hazardous-material abatement. It is a completed planning example, not evidence that a real structure has been surveyed or released.
- Identify the precise wall, connected elements, nearby spaces and removal limit on the work plan; appearance is not proof of structural function.
- Obtain written evidence of the competent person's engineering survey, including relevant adjacent structures and possible unplanned collapse.
- Resolve utilities and suspect building materials before disturbance. Existing coatings, insulation or concealed services cannot be cleared by a visual guess.
- Define debris routes, temporary storage, dust containment, access equipment and emergency access without relying on occupied adjacent areas.
Build the analysis one step at a time
What will the worker do? How could someone be harmed? What prevents or reduces that exposure? Who checks the control, and when?
Confirm the removal scope and structural condition
Hazard: Removing an apparently minor partition releases a supported element or destabilizes damaged construction.
Control: The competent person performs the required engineering survey before demolition. The supervisor translates its findings into a work sequence and required support; unresolved structural questions go to a suitably qualified designer.
Verification: Confirm written survey evidence covers the actual wall and adjacent exposures, and that required temporary support is addressed.
Why this belongs in the analysis: The useful JHA begins with what is known about the structure, not the tool selected to break it.
Resolve services and hazardous materials
Hazard: Tools strike energized services or disturb lead, asbestos or other hazardous substances.
Control: Authorized personnel shut off, cap or otherwise control affected services and protect necessary remaining services. The employer completes the relevant material and exposure evaluations and arranges required controls or separate specialist work before disturbance.
Verification: Match service controls and survey information to the removal boundary; mark any area still on hold.
Why this belongs in the analysis: A general demolition checklist cannot establish whether this coating or concealed pipe is safe to disturb.
Establish the work and debris zones
Hazard: A bystander enters the drop area, or debris blocks escape and emergency access.
Control: The foreman establishes barriers based on the expected debris and tool movement, closes conflicting routes and sets a contained waste route. Keep adjacent occupants outside the exposure area; do not select a fixed distance without assessing the job.
Verification: Walk both sides of the partition and the waste route; confirm signs and barriers direct people to a usable alternative.
Why this belongs in the analysis: The wall can expose people on its far side who are invisible to the person removing it.
Set up tools, access and dust controls
Hazard: Masonry dust, noise, flying fragments or unstable access injure workers during removal.
Control: The supervisor selects tools and a stable work platform for the sequence. Determine the applicable silica-control approach for each task; provide required dust controls and respiratory measures, plus task-appropriate eye, face, hearing and hand protection.
Verification: Inspect tool guards and extraction or water systems; confirm the actual method matches the exposure-control plan.
Why this belongs in the analysis: A disposable dust mask offered on request does not establish an effective silica or respiratory-protection program.
Remove the partition in the planned sequence
Hazard: An uncontrolled section falls, a tool catches, or exposed sharp material injures the worker.
Control: The foreman directs the assessed sequence using manageable sections and stable work positions. Keep people clear of falling material and do not undermine a standing section or cut an unidentified support. Pause if the structure differs from the survey.
Verification: Recheck exposed connections and remaining stability as work progresses; confirm debris is not building up beneath the work position.
Why this belongs in the analysis: Opening the first section can reveal information that was unavailable when the JHA was written.
Remove waste and leave a stable boundary
Hazard: Heavy sharp debris causes handling injuries, dust is re-suspended, or an unsupported remnant is left for the next trade.
Control: Use suitable containers and handling aids, separate sharp waste and avoid overloading floors or carts. Apply the assessed silica housekeeping method. The supervisor checks remaining edges, services, supports and barriers before handover.
Verification: Verify the debris route is clear and unfinished sections are stable and identified; record issues needing follow-up.
Why this belongs in the analysis: Finishing the removal does not automatically make the next person's workspace safe.
What does a useful control look like?
| Needs improvement | More useful for this scenario |
|---|---|
| Non-load-bearing wall: no survey needed. | Obtain the required engineering survey for the demolition scope and resolve how the wall and connected construction remain stable during removal. |
| Keep people 10 feet away and use dust masks. | Set the exclusion area from the actual debris exposure and choose verified dust and respiratory controls for the specific material and tool. |
Decisions that change the analysis
The first opening reveals an unfamiliar steel member. Continue around it?
Stop and preserve the area for reassessment. Identify the member and revise the sequence before disturbing it or nearby supports.
The dust collector stops but only one section remains. Finish?
Pause the dust-producing work, correct the control and verify the planned exposure-control method before resuming.
Agree when the crew will pause
- Stop for new cracking, movement, unexpected loading, missing support or a concealed structural connection; isolate the area and reassess.
- Hold work when an unidentified service or suspect material appears. Do not broaden the removal boundary until the relevant evaluation is complete.
- Pause if dust controls fail, fragments escape the barrier, occupants enter the exposure area or the planned waste route becomes unavailable.
After a pause, correct the condition, reassess the work, and obtain required authorization before restarting. Keep unresolved actions visible.
Download the worked example and free template
No account or paid membership required. The worked example contains planned controls. The blank template is for your own work; neither includes fabricated inspection results, signatures or approval.
Your editable working copy
Build and download your draft
Start blank or load the learning example. Replace its assumptions with your actual conditions and involve the people doing the work. Your entries stay in this browser tab; download a copy before leaving or refreshing.
1. Describe your work and site
2. Work through each task
Describe an observable step, how someone could be harmed, and the control that acts on that hazard. Identify who checks it and what evidence is needed.
3. Record changes, checks, and open actions
Walk the work area, review with the crew, and resolve missing controls. Follow the required approval process. This tool does not judge completeness, verify signatures or authorize work.
Open the downloaded file in a browser, then use Print → Save as PDF for a printable copy.
Common questions
Does interior selective demolition need an engineering survey?
Demolition requirements can apply to removal of interior partitions. The survey's scope should reflect the work and structural conditions; calling a job small does not remove the requirement.
Does this demolition JHA cover asbestos or lead removal?
No. Those hazards require the applicable assessment, controls and qualified work arrangements. The example makes their resolution a prerequisite instead of inventing a clean-material result.
Are these resources part of a paid course?
This walkthrough, browser draft builder and downloads are free public resources, separate from Academy course enrollment.
References and source note
- OSHA 1926.850 — Demolition preparatory operations
- OSHA interpretation — Demolition rules and interior non-load-bearing partitions
- OSHA 1926.1153 — Respirable crystalline silica
- OSHA 1926.62 — Lead in construction
- OSHA 1926.1101 — Asbestos in construction
This original walkthrough was informed by review of uploaded examples, then rewritten for the stated fictional scenario using current primary references. It does not reproduce a source document or its approval record. Use actual equipment instructions and site requirements alongside these references. Reference review: October 6, 2026.