Section 5.35. Removal of materials

(a) Through chutes. The removal of materials through chutes shall comply with the following:

(1) No material shall be dropped to any point outside the exterior walls of the building except through enclosed wooden or metal chutes, except where buildings being demolished are not adjacent to other buildings or thoroughfares, in which case materials may be dropped to points outside the building walls, if a sufficient number of employes are assigned to keep the public and other employes from entering the danger area.

(2) Material chutes at an angle of more than 45 degrees from the horizontal shall be entirely enclosed on all four sides except for openings at or about floor level for the receiving of materials and debris.

(3) The openings specified in paragraph (2) shall not exceed 48 inches in height, measured along the wall of the chute, and in all stories below the top floor such openings shall be kept closed when not in use.

(4) Chutes at an angle of less than 45° with the horizontal may be left open on the upper side, if at the point where such a chute discharges into a chute steeper than 45° with the horizontal, the top of the steeper chute is boarded over to prevent the escape of material.

(5) A strong gate shall be installed in each chute at or near the discharge end and a responsible employe shall be designated to control the gate and the backing up and loading of trucks. Such employe shall be instructed to prevent any person from standing or passing under the discharge end of the chute.

(6) When operations are not in progress, the danger area at the discharge end of a chute shall be completely enclosed with a substantial fence or otherwise made inaccessible.

(7) Any opening into which workmen dump debris at the top of a chute shall be guarded by a substantial guardrail extending at least 36 inches above the level of the floor or other surface on which men stand to dump material into chutes.

(8) A toeboard or bumper, not less than 2 inches thick and 6 inches high, shall be provided at each chute opening where material is dumped from wheelbarrows. Any space between the chute and the edge of openings in floors through which it passes shall be solidly planked over.

(b) Through holes in floors. The removal of materials through holes in the floor shall comply with the following:

(1) Where debris is dropped through holes in the floor without the use of chutes, the total area of the hole cut in any intermediate floor (one which lies between the floor that is being demolished and the storage floor) shall not exceed 25% of such floor area.

(2) The total area of a floor shall be computed from measurements taken to the inside faces of the exterior walls. The area of floor openings which existed before the beginning of the demolition of the structure shall not be deducted in computing the total area.

(3) Where a structure is demolished in sections, the total area of the holes cut in any section of the floor shall not exceed 25% of such sectional floor area.

(4) Openings in all floors below the floor from which walls, partitions or floor construction is being removed shall be protected by standard railings and toeboards or preferably planked over where the holes are not being used for dumping materials.

(5) All intermediate floor openings for the passage of material shall be completely enclosed with barricades or substantial guardrails not less than 36 inches high and not less than 6 feet from the edge of any opening. No barricade or guardrail shall be removed until the story immediately above has been demolished down to the floor line and all debris cleared from that floor.

(6) Where the cutting of a hole in an intermediate floor between the storage floor and the floor which is being demolished makes the intermediate floor or any portion of it unsafe, such intermediate floor shall be properly shored.

Notation

Cross References

This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 5.37 (relating to removal of walls).