Who must prepare the demolition method statement?
Where demolition involves removing any column, beam, floor or other load-bearing structure, regulation 72 of the WSH (Construction) Regulations requires the work to follow a method statement prepared by a Professional Engineer, with due regard to the integrity of the remaining structure. For demolition of a building, BCA's permit application must also include a method statement and an impact assessment report on surrounding buildings.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Demolition and Strip-Out Safety in Singapore: Permits, Structural Stability, Asbestos and Waste. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
In Singapore, demolition is high-risk construction work needing a permit-to-work system. Hacking non-load-bearing walls and false ceilings is exempt from BCA plan approval, but removing columns, beams, slabs or load-bearing walls needs approved plans, a BCA permit and a PE's method statement. Older buildings need an asbestos survey first, and debris must go through NEA-licensed collectors.
More questions on this topic
- Do I need a BCA permit to strip out an office?
- Is a strip-out 'demolition work' under the WSH regulations?
- What happened in the Tanjong Pagar demolition collapse?
- Do I need an asbestos survey before demolition?
- Can demolition debris go into the building's bins?
- What is temporary propping and when is it needed?
- What are the dust and noise rules for demolition?