# Warning: Conveyor Belts May Fall At Any Time



## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

its industrial demolition, not a tree service


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## CanadianBrad (Feb 9, 2012)

360max said:


> its industrial demolition, not a tree service


So you would expect that to be the norm, then?


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

CanadianBrad said:


> So you would expect that to be the norm, then?


I would say so. Especially true if they don't care if the floor gets chunks out of it, or if the floor is getting demo'd too.


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## CanadianBrad (Feb 9, 2012)

The floor is staying, but it seems to be a pretty tough concrete slab. Also, because it's going to become a production area, it'll probably be refinished. Just surprises me that they'd just be dropping this stuff. Seems like a really easy way to kill/maim someone. My first demo job, so I'm not going from actual experience, just a preconceived notion.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

CanadianBrad said:


> The floor is staying, but it seems to be a pretty tough concrete slab. Also, because it's going to become a production area, it'll probably be refinished. Just surprises me that they'd just be dropping this stuff. Seems like a really easy way to kill/maim someone. My first demo job, so I'm not going from actual experience, just a preconceived notion.


Well, you were on notice.

"...We pass a string of caution tape and a sign stating "Warning: Men Working Overhead".

Can't say you weren't warned that you were entering a dangerous area, and you went on anyhow. Keep your head on a swivel.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

That sounds like demo to me...


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## CanadianBrad (Feb 9, 2012)

I just assumed(with no solid knowledge to back it up) that stuff like that would be lowered to the ground a little more... gently. Seems safer that way, to my inexperienced mind at least. Also seems to me that those conveyors could have been salvaged, perhaps for re-use, but potentially for resale. I'm sure there would be some kind of a market for used stuff like that.

Guess it wasn't as odd as I thought...


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

CanadianBrad said:


> I just assumed(with no solid knowledge to back it up) that stuff like that would be lowered to the ground a little more... gently. Seems safer that way, to my inexperienced mind at least. Also seems to me that those conveyors could have been salvaged, perhaps for re-use, but potentially for resale. I'm sure there would be some kind of a market for used stuff like that.
> 
> Guess it wasn't as odd as I thought...


It will never cease to amaze me the stuff that gets thrown away all the time in manufacturing establishments. Seems like the more expensive you think it should be, the quicker someone is to decide to throw it in the trash. You might have a bit of packrat in you, but you'll get over it. :thumbsup:

Stuff like conveyors are almost always custom built for the job. Their recycle value is about nil. Scrap steel.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> It will never cease to amaze me the stuff that gets thrown away all the time in manufacturing establishments. Seems like the more expensive you think it should be, the quicker someone is to decide to throw it in the trash. You might have a bit of packrat in you, but you'll get over it. :thumbsup:


Time is money and the more time you think about saving something, the more money you waste. That's why I no longer save much of anything.


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## CanadianBrad (Feb 9, 2012)

MDShunk said:


> It will never cease to amaze me the stuff that gets thrown away all the time in manufacturing establishments. Seems like the more expensive you think it should be, the quicker someone is to decide to throw it in the trash. You might have a bit of packrat in you, but you'll get over it. :thumbsup:
> 
> Stuff like conveyors are almost always custom built for the job. Their recycle value is about nil. Scrap steel.


Fair enough. In our part of the demo, we've been going nuts. Hubbell local disconnects, all kinds of steel conduit fittings, some welding outlets, a couple of lighting fixtures, etc., etc. We salvaged some long wire runs too, the copper should be worth a couple bucks.

It's true, though. The guys at our shop are definitely pack-rats. Our shop lease expires soon, and I suggested that we downsize, just to clear out some of the clutter. Of course, it just gets piled up all over the place, and of course, being the apprentice, everyone expects me to find a place to put it...


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I really only save things that are either really cherry, I've never seen before, or is something that's no longer made that I know goes bad often. That's about 1/10th of 1% of what I tear out. 

I tore out an I-line panel in a small wastewater treatment plant, and the one guy says to me, "You want all our spare breakers we had for that". He shows me to a shelf of new in box replacements for every breaker in that panel. I'm like....hmmm, let me think about that for about 1.2 milliseconds. I kept all those new breakers, but all the one's that were in the panel went on the scrap pile for the metal man.


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

you should hear what row fixtures sound like in a total building gut out, or when they take down a block wall by knocking the bottom blocks out first


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> Well, you were on notice.
> 
> "...We pass a string of caution tape and a sign stating "Warning: Men Working Overhead".
> 
> Can't say you weren't warned that you were entering a dangerous area, and you went on anyhow. Keep your head on a swivel.



My take here- Should have been RED- DANGER- DO NOT CROSS/ENTER tape.

Danger is quite different than caution.


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## CanadianBrad (Feb 9, 2012)

Admittedly, leland, I wasn't too worried about the caution tape. I was aware of the demo taking place, and the collective IQ of the demo team probably scores in the low 60s, so I always steer well clear, and watch where they're cutting. The only people crossing the tape are people that know what's going on. It just seemed odd to me that they're dropping these giant pieces of steel from 20 or 25 feet up. I mean, you can more or less predict where they'll land, but nobody really knows what's going to fly off, or where they're going to go. I'd hate to see the "spotter" on the ground get a loose roller in the forehead. I was also fairly concerned about the live conduits attached to the wall. They already tore out an Ethernet connection, a phone/data line, and some fire alarm conduits that have required immediate repair, and I keep waiting for one of the several conduits running the entire fabrication floor to get crushed and shut down production. I've heard(no solid proof) that the slaughterhouse can charge $150K _hourly_ to cover costs if a negligent move shuts down their production. Not sure if there's any truth to it...

Still, I'm sure it's a hell of a mess if someone gets hurt. All those guys have steel toes, hard hats, and safety glasses, but none of those are going to help you too much if a 500-lb chunk of conveyor belt lands on you. I'd be curious to say what a government safety group would say about it.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Most demos I have been involved with they just cut and drop everything then build a chute inside the risers for small stuff or do a full sheet of plywood width slide on the side of the building off scaffholding and drop into skips. Worst thing I ever saw was one of the demo guys standing in the skip while 2 other guys were holding a huge peice of plate glass at the top pincer style with no support on the bottom of it above a 10m drop, thats the only time I've actually had a shiver go up my spine, I dont reckon that it would have had any trouble decapitating him or cutting him clean in half if it had slipped down the slide.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

CanadianBrad said:


> I'd be curious to say what a government safety group would say about it.


I bet they would ask why you ignored a warning tape. :jester:

I have dropped very large transformers to the ground from the deck. They had to go so I cut the supports with a sawzall and let them hit the floor.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

CanadianBrad said:


> Admittedly, leland, I wasn't too worried about the caution tape. I was aware of the demo taking place, and the collective IQ of the demo team probably scores in the low 60s, so I always steer well clear, and watch where they're cutting. The only people crossing the tape are people that know what's going on. It just seemed odd to me that they're dropping these giant pieces of steel from 20 or 25 feet up. I mean, you can more or less predict where they'll land, but nobody really knows what's going to fly off, or where they're going to go. I'd hate to see the "spotter" on the ground get a loose roller in the forehead. I was also fairly concerned about the live conduits attached to the wall. They already tore out an Ethernet connection, a phone/data line, and some fire alarm conduits that have required immediate repair, and I keep waiting for one of the several conduits running the entire fabrication floor to get crushed and shut down production. I've heard(no solid proof) that the slaughterhouse can charge $150K _hourly_ to cover costs if a negligent move shuts down their production. Not sure if there's any truth to it...
> 
> Still, I'm sure it's a hell of a mess if someone gets hurt. All those guys have steel toes, hard hats, and safety glasses, but none of those are going to help you too much if a 500-lb chunk of conveyor belt lands on you. I'd be curious to say what a government safety group would say about it.


 
No need to be concerned about live wires. Most demo crews just cut the conduit and all with a torch.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

TOOL_5150 said:


> That sounds like demo to me...


Yep :thumbup:

Demo isn't fun if you can't break sh1t and drop stuff from heights :laughing:


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

leland said:


> My take here- Should have been RED- DANGER- DO NOT CROSS/ENTER tape.
> 
> Danger is quite different than caution.


perhaps there's marketability for a _'Please feel free to remain blissfully ignorant despite our best efforts'_ tape?

~CS~


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

CanadianBrad said:


> Just surprises me that they'd just be dropping this stuff. Seems like a really easy way to kill/maim someone. My first demo job, so I'm not going from actual experience, just a preconceived notion.


Don't worry, you had your hardhat on right?


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## CanadianBrad (Feb 9, 2012)

Exactly why I always have my safety lid, Wirenuting. My primary concern is not the falling stuff, since you can see where they're cutting and more or less predict where it's going to fall. I'm more wondering about the little bits that fly off in all directions after the large pieces hit the ground. I've got safety glasses, but some of those pieces could do some damage.

Or the pieces of threaded rod that come dropping down out of nowhere. I've seen a couple land just right and bounce pretty good, and one of those will probably ruin whatever it hits.

Again, apparently I'm the one out in left field here(and over in the Union thread, too). Everyone seems to be telling me that this is business as usual.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

CanadianBrad said:


> Exactly why I always have my safety lid, Wirenuting. My primary concern is not the falling stuff, since you can see where they're cutting and more or less predict where it's going to fall. I'm more wondering about the little bits that fly off in all directions after the large pieces hit the ground. I've got safety glasses, but some of those pieces could do some damage.
> 
> Or the pieces of threaded rod that come dropping down out of nowhere. I've seen a couple land just right and bounce pretty good, and one of those will probably ruin whatever it hits.
> 
> Again, apparently I'm the one out in left field here(and over in the Union thread, too). Everyone seems to be telling me that this is business as usual.


That's how I have seen it also. No need to be neat when your tearing it down. 
But the "Safety Zone" should be large enough to prevent anything from bouncing away. 

We as onsite professionals know what's happening all the time and can expect falling items. Those of us who never do big demo jobs run a higher risk of injury whiles arming the new hazards of the Demo world. 

Just take your time and don't rush anything. 
Just because the floor was there this morning doesn't mean it's there in the afternoon.
Just ask the Bobcat operator who backed off a third floor barracks here last year.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Wirenuting said:


> ...Just ask the Bobcat operator who backed off a third floor barracks here last year.


 I think I'd rather fall by myself than go down inside a Bobcat. Did he make it?

-John


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## CanadianBrad (Feb 9, 2012)

Wirenuting said:


> That's how I have seen it also. No need to be neat when your tearing it down.
> But the "Safety Zone" should be large enough to prevent anything from bouncing away.
> 
> We as onsite professionals know what's happening all the time and can expect falling items. Those of us who never do big demo jobs run a higher risk of injury whiles arming the new hazards of the Demo world.
> ...


Shame to hear about the fella in the Bobcat... what a bad way to go...

Definitely a legitimate point regarding the safety zone. However, they are, in my opinion, far too small, to the point that you wonder if the spotter at the bottom is going to try and _catch_ the conveyor belt.

And for sure, we've been taking our time. We actually put in a couple of night shifts so that we weren't tripping over the cutters and the guys hauling the stuff out.

Demolition work(on this scale, anyway) is a new animal to me. Can't say I care for it. I've been cutting through more than one conduit with a sawzall(after I've traced them out and disconnected the wiring), wondering how accurate my volt tick really is, and if there's a mystery wire I've potentially missed in that pipe. Would really suck to figure it out the hard way.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Big John said:


> I think I'd rather fall by myself than go down inside a Bobcat. Did he make it?
> 
> -John


 
I would hate to think about that. I flipped one on it's side one time. That was bad enough. We trenched out to lay parallel 4" conduit to move a 400 hp motor. I was driving along beside the trench and a big chunk of concrete under the bobcat broke off the slab, and over in the hole I went on my side.


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## CanadianBrad (Feb 9, 2012)

mcclary's electrical said:


> I would hate to think about that. I flipped one on it's side one time. That was bad enough. We trenched out to lay parallel 4" conduit to move a 400 hp motor. I was driving along beside the trench and a big chunk of concrete under the bobcat broke off the slab, and over in the hole I went on my side.


And what was the result of that, from an injury/damage to Bobcat purview?


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