If you have a building that requires shutting down and removing entirely from operation, then it will need to go through a decommissioning process. Here a US Industrial Demolition, we offer full decommissioning services, wholly tailored to your project, working in tandem with both the client and all relevant local authorities to ensure that the plan is skillfully and successfully implemented, producing a full risk assessment and methodology statements.
Decommissioning may subsequently be followed by re-commissioning, re-purposing or demolition, so it’s essential to work with a professional company who are experts in all of these disciples and not just the one. Typically, large buildings that will require decommissioning include power stations and oil rigs, as well as factories, warehouses and many public buildings. The purpose of bringing in a specialist team like US Industrial Demolition is to ensure that the decommissioning process is executed in a way that protects the systems in place, reduces any potential hazards and also assesses the potential future risk that the building works might necessitate.
It’s safe to say that decommissioning is a complex and highly skilled process that requires rigorous planning and targeted managed to ensure it’s completed both safely but also efficiently. Each project, of course, is uniquely different so the scope of works will vary but just some of the tasks that are necessary to carry out as part of a decommissioning project include:
Disconnecting any live services to the building
Draining pipes and switching off water supply
Managing the fire sage and evacuation procedures
Waterproofing and securing facades and the roof
Securing entrance and exits points to prevent trespassing
Clearing out vegetation in and around the building
Assessing and safely remove all toxic, flammable and hazardous waste materials
Strengthening any support systems that have been damaged or weakened
Installing a security system where applicable
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it should give you a flavor for some of the critical stages involved when a US Industrial Demolition goes in and takes over a decommissioning site.
What are the Key Steps Involved in the Decommissioning Process?
Defining the End State
First of all, all contracting parties need to work together to agree upon and determine the desired end state. Is the while building to be decommissioned or just a part of it? Is it necessary to remove all equipment and machinery or will some remain in situ?
Preparing the Decommissioning Plan
A detailed decommissioning plan must then be prepared to outline all the key objectives, the planned stages, defining any safety methodology and creating the full scope of work. This requires the input of a specialist consultancy team with hands-on relevant experience just like US Industrial Demolition. Cost efficiencies need to be considered as well as environmental and employee impact, specifically paying attention to how any hazardous and non-hazardous substances are to be removed, recycled and reused. Decommission plans are complex and highly targeted.
Defining the Full Scope of Work
Once the general decommissioning plan and methodology have been agreed upon, the next stage is to drill down even further to describe in detail the exact processes that need to be implemented and timeline to be followed to achieve the key end objective. It’s this scope of work, or blueprint, that is then used by the management team as well as the consultancy company to make on-going safe and informed decisions relating to all the tasks that need to be executed.
Identifying required Resources and Appointing key Specialist Personnel
Finally, once all the tasks and activities have been agreed upon and laid out in the scope of work, the right expertise, personnel and resources need to be brought in to carry out the complexities of the decommissioning plan. That’s something that US Industrial Demolition excels at and we have all the skills and experience required to assist across a diverse range of sectors and location. Get in touch with us today to discuss your decommissioning requirements.