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Lessons learned

What went wrong on demolition sites, and what would have stopped it. Free to read, and written so the next engineer does not repeat it.

Published by the Institute · reviewed

What this is

Short, plain accounts of incidents and near misses: the work, what went wrong, and the checks that would have prevented it. Each has a reference you can quote in a method statement or a toolbox talk.

Where they come from

Members of the Institute share them, and every morning the Institute writes up the demolition cases from the Health and Safety Executive’s prosecutions, linked to the original. Nothing names a company, a site or a person.

Share yours

The most useful lessons never reach the HSE: the near miss, the wall that came down early, the survey that missed something. It takes about ten minutes.

How sharing works

Browse by category

All 8Working at height 4Asbestos & hazardous materials 2Structural collapse & stability 1Temporary works 1

Asbestos & hazardous materials

HSE-2026-002HSE9 Mar 2026Prosecution

Unlicensed contractor engaged to clear up major asbestos disturbance

Category
Asbestos & hazardous materials
Phase
Structural demolition

Demolition work at a site in Staffordshire was stopped after asbestos was discovered, but an unlicensed company and individual were then brought in to manage the clean-up instead of a licensed asbestos contractor. An investigation found the demolition had not been properly planned or managed, leading to prosecution of two companies and a site manager.

Contributing factors
  • Inadequate pre-demolition survey
  • Unlicensed contractor used for asbestos work
  • Poor planning and management of demolition
  • Unclear responsibilities between contractors
Read the full account →
HSE-2025-008HSE20 Nov 2025Prosecution

Missed asbestos survey led to exposure during panel removal

Category
Asbestos & hazardous materials
Phase
Soft strip

Workers dismantling wall panelling disturbed asbestos-containing material that had not been identified in earlier surveys. The contractor was fined for failures in assessment, training and emergency arrangements.

Contributing factors
  • Incomplete asbestos survey
  • Inadequate worker training
  • No emergency arrangements
  • Poor pre-work assessment
Read the full account →

What a full entry contains

The account

The work as planned, the condition of the structure as found, and the point where the plan and the reality parted. Written by or with the engineer involved, or from the HSE’s published findings.

What to do differently

Three to five concrete things to check or do, so the lesson can go straight into a method statement, a briefing or a toolbox talk.

Share a lesson

  1. Sign in to the members’ area and open Lessons learned.
  2. Write it up in about ten minutes: what happened, and what should be done differently next time. A near miss counts.
  3. The Education Committee reviews it and edits out anything that could identify a client, a site or a person.
  4. It is published anonymously unless you ask to be named and give your consent. You can see where it is at any time.
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