Locating and Controlling Utilities Before Demolition

For every service entering the building, one of three things has to happen before demolition: shut it off, cap it, or otherwise control it. And in each case, any utility company involved must be notified in advance (§1926.850(c)). The utility often has to make the disconnection or verify it at their equipment.

• Electric — de-energized and confirmed dead, not just breaker-off.
• Gas — shut off and capped; purge lines that could still hold fuel.
• Water, steam, sewer — isolated so lines don't flood or scald the work area.
• Every affected utility company notified ahead of time.

Sometimes you need a service kept on during demolition — temporary power, water for dust control, a fire line. §1926.850(d) allows it, but those utilities have to be relocated as necessary and protected so the demolition work can't damage them and expose the crew.

That means marking them, routing them clear of the drop zones and equipment paths, and treating them as live hazards for the whole job — because they are.

The service lines feeding the building aren't the only ones. Overhead power lines crossing the site and buried utilities under it stay energized and stay in the equipment's path. Keep cranes, excavators, and man-baskets clear of overhead lines, and locate buried utilities before any ground disturbance.

Electrical approach distances are covered in Electrical Safety and underground locating in Excavation Safety — the same rules apply here. The demolition point is simple: no line gets touched, cut, or pulled until it's been positively identified and controlled.