There are a number of items that can reduce the chances of workers sustaining serious injuries during a demolition project. Read on to find out what these items are.

Respirators

When buildings are torn down during the demolition process, a huge amount of dust is released into the air. This dust can contain a wide range of potentially harmful particulates which could irritate workers' lungs and put them at risk of developing certain diseases if they are inhaled.

Silica dust, for example, which is found in mortar, concrete, tiles, bricks and plaster, can cause a serious lung condition known as 'silicosis' when it is inhaled.

Wearing a respirator can help to substantially reduce the amount of dust that workers breathe in throughout the course of a demolition project.

Respirators are essentially masks that cover and form a tight seal around the wearer's mouth and nose. These masks filter out contaminants in the air before the wearer can inhale them.

Respirators will only be effective if their filters are in good condition. As such, it is important for those who choose to wear this type of product to ensure that they replace or clean their respirator's filter on a regular basis.

Hard hats

The destruction of large buildings usually results in heavy pieces of debris (including concrete blocks, bricks and glass) being flung into the air. If this debris falls from a great height (as is likely to happen if the building that is being demolished is quite tall), they will hit the ground with great force.

Those who are standing or working close to the building during this process could quite easily be struck by these heavy materials. If their head is not protected, the impact could leave them with permanent, severe brain injuries and serious wounds.

This is why it is absolutely crucial for everyone working on a demolition site to wear a hard hat at all times.

These hats are designed to absorb the impact of a heavy blow and thus reduce the amount of damage it inflicts on the wearer's head. For example, if someone wearing a hard hat were struck by a brick, they might be left with a bruise and a mild concussion, rather than a skull fracture.

Hard hats are also difficult for sharp objects to penetrate; this means that those who wear these hats are less likely to sustain deep head wounds if a shard of glass or plaster falls onto their head.