INSIDE• Rudy Kalab -

Deconstructing a working life INFOCUS• Focus on Safety• Jacy Roach - OH & SINSITUProject News • Hawthorn Aquatic Centre• Middleborough Road• CSR Gyprock

T H E N E W S L E T T E R O F I N D U S T R I A L D E M O L I T I O N A N D E N V I R O N M E N TA L S E R V I C E S

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Infocus

Thirty years doesn’t sound like a long time at all – but in the world of demolition –it is an ice age. Back then the industry was substantially different to what it is today. Then, demolishers called themselves wreckers –which is now perhaps considered an overly dramatic and inaccurate term for the very scientific process of deconstruction.

Rudy Kalab with partner Derek Wilson, the joint founders of Industrial Demolition Services, were then starting out in a business where they learnt with every project they won. Both started out on small machines and wielding ‘gas-axes’ – large oxy acetylene torches – which were their preferred weapons of choice. Many times they wondered if they had bitten off more than they could chew.

The principal tool of any deconstruction specialist today is the excavator fitted with specialist shears, grapples and hammers –which allows for a far safer approach to any task, by largely removing humans from the work face and demolition speeds that back then could only have been considered as ridiculously optimistic. Back then, few demolition companies had one and if they did, they had not as yet, connected its potential with the task of deconstruction.

Today Rudy is still the same man in many respects. Except an excavator is an extension of his limbs. There is video footage somewhere in the company archives of Rudy doing what he does best – deftly folding huge sections of half inch steel plate from a massive oil storage tank with his excavator. A bit like you would fold a letter.

It is one of the most mechanically dextrous things you will ever see. And it highlights the skills that thirty plus years of experience can contribute.

Derek and Rudy had become expert in the use of oxy acetylene when they cut up hundreds of railway goods wagons and following this project they saw a news report about a massive industrial fire in Moorabbin, Victoria. They both duly turned up at the site –which was now a smoking ruin of twisted metal and told the Manager that they were wreckers and could clear the site for them. He asked the name of their business and they looked at each other looking for the answer, because at that point- they did not have a formal business name.

“Wilson & Kalab – ah – Wreckers” said Rudy, which was their trading name for some years until the name changed to Industrial Wreckers some years later. Their job pricing skills was probably a mixture of developing instinct and luck. They won the Moorabbin project by just $200 and it became the first of hundreds of similar projects they would undertake in the future.

Today, Industrial is a leading specialist in the deconstruction of fire affected structures and generally the first organization that fire brigades and loss adjustors call in the case of an emergency.

The next big project was the BP Westernport refinery in Victoria and it was this milestone project that started to set Industrial Demolition apart from others in the industry. The company was one of the first to introduce the hydraulic shear attachment to their machines and it is fair to say that this single tool has revolutionised the entire industry worldwide.

It can make a cut through large steel members in seconds that might take twenty minutes with a torch. And it does so safely without the need to have men close to the structure. It has largely eliminated what was termed as ‘hot work’, which always had inherent safety concerns.

They were now dismantling redundant structures with a speed that astonished their opposition.

More recently, Rudy was one of the principal operators in the deconstruction of the Huntsman Chemical Complex –which at the time was the largest demolition project in the country. It took more than 20,000 man-hours to complete and was successfully delivered without a single lost time injury or incident.

The business operated very successfully over the next two decades until both Derek and Rudy realised that smallish family companies were not the way of the future. They were now approaching ‘middle-age’ and needed to bring some clever new people into the business and to diversify into other areas including environmental services to offer a more comprehensive service to the marketplace.

This was a decision that proved to be correct very quickly. The Team tripled in size in a matter of months and now includes partners Graham Cressey and Steve McCoach –each with longstanding specialist careers in the business, as well as the best demolition operators in the business.

Rudy Kalab – deconstructing a working life.

Today Rudy looks at the company fleet of excavators and ancillary machinery including new 50 tonne machines fitted with the latest in steel shears and remembers the journey that got them to this point. A journey that has seen the delivery of thousands of projects and an organization that had the most humble of roots and intentions.

An idea that turned into a reality, which is now becoming one of the main forces in Demolition and Environmental services in the nation. It is something to be proud of.

InFocus

Jacy Roach –Industrial’s OH&S Specialist.

“Behavioural-based safety is the key.”Jacy Roach’s background in Occupational Health & Safety is about as comprehensive as it is possible to get. She has a Diploma of Health & Safety, a Certificate IV in OH&S, is a qualified Lead Auditor and a member of the Safety Institute of Australia and the Australian Industry Group.

Before anyone turns up on a site to start work and before any machine is moved into position – Jacy Roach and her colleagues have done a lot of work. Every task- every move and every risk is analysed and worked through.

“Safety is the foremost consideration on every project the company undertakes. We do nothing without a complete understanding of the safety issues and a dedicated plan is developed for each and every project”. Demolition specific systems of safe work, with a strong emphasis on cultural and behavioural safety underpin everything the Company does. We have a saying at Industrial –The best systems in the world won’t make a difference if the people using them don’t believe their own actions and attitudes are the single most important factor. Before we allocate a single person or machine to a project, we identify how we will establish control of the situation and maintain control throughout.

The dynamic nature of demolition and environmental projects demand a detailed and systemic approach to the identification and control of hazards. In a typical demolition project, most of

the major hazards are present at the outset of the project, including critical elements such as energy sources, hazardous materials and environments, heights and production restraints.

Jacy says that the emphasis placed on safety is part of several fundamental emphases that underpin absolutely every action.

Occupational Health and Safety has always been a core value and is given the highest priority in any activity, from the initial planning through to the execution phases.

It is simply unacceptable for any person to be injured as a result of our activities.

A Focus on Safety

While IDES constantly addresses the human side of safety on its sites, safety initiatives also focus on the machinery and equipment fleet the company utilises. While each machine is individually certified and continuously checked to meet safety standards prior and during every project the company undertakes, sometimes we find a way of improving or altering a piece of equipment to enhance those standards.

One recent case of this was highlighted during the regular maintenance each piece of gear undergoes prior to being sent out to its next project. Plant and Equipment Manager, Dave McCoach recently discovered when talking to excavator operators that the cab mounted wiper motor mechanism, provided a potential blind spot. Clear forward and peripheral vision is mandatory in machine cabs and David then set about repositioning the fitting to ensure that the best possible vision

was achievable from the machine cabs. Industrial operates a fleet of excavators from 50 tonnes in weight down to smaller units, which are used in restricted access situations.

Following a project, every machine is brought back to the Yarraville Maintenance facility and fully checked for any wear and servicing requirements. This generally includes a repaint so that clean, efficient, safe machines service each new project. Another recent safety initiative designed to eliminate the risk of falling when conducting daily maintenance checks, was the fitting of safety rails to Industrial’s excavator fleet (20 - 50t).

Making our machines safer.The fundamental principle of the Company’s OH&S system is that no person will ever be placed in a situation in which hazards have not been adequately identified and appropriate controls put in place.

Demolition, by its very position in the normal life cycle of a process, includes hazards, which were never envisaged during the construction phase. As an example, these include the affects of corrosion, structural degradation caused by the inherent process or hazards associated with the specific process such as chemical, heat, by-products and waste.

These factors make it imperative that the systems of safe work used during demolition and environmental projects be purpose developed for such activities and not just a generic desktop system.

Through its involvement with organizations like the Master Builders Association (MBAV) and the Demolition Contractors Association of Victoria (DCAV), and a number of other industry bodies, the Industrial Group helped establish many of the safety standards that are every-day requirements in the industry today.

InSitu

The Hawthorn Aquatic & Leisure Centre.The iconic Hawthorn pool, which was constructed for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, is undergoing a complete re-development that will soon accommodate the general health opportunities of residents in the municipality.

IDES are completing the project for ADCO Constructions who have been contracted by the Booroondara City Council. The original buildings and pool have recently been deconstructed by Industrial Demolition Services and are now in the final stages of site remediation by Industrial Environmental Services.

This project highlights the advantages of Industrial’s multi-disciplinary service provision. Following the demolition project Demolition included removing the existing 50 metre pool, basketball stadium, squash courts, amenities, gymnasium and childcare centre. Environmental works followed to ensure that the site is fully remediated and ready for the construction of the new pool and facilities on the site. These works involved excavation of the two new pools- the new 50 metre pool and the new indoor children’s pool as well as the removal and processing of fill materials originally brought to the site when the aquatic facility was built 56 years ago.

Linda Crescent Hawthorn, is one of Melbourne’s most famous sporting precincts, also being home to the famous Glenferrie Oval – home of the Hawthorn Football Club directly opposite the Aquatic Centre.

The new $27m two-level Centre has been designed with careful attention to both equality of access and

environment sustainability. It will feature a new wider 50 metre outdoor pool, a 20 metre x 10 metre indoor warm water program pool, expanded fitness program rooms and crèche facilities, an enlarged gymnasium, a café with WiFi access, and public toilets. The project also includes comprehensive re-landscaping of the site.

The redeveloped HALC is anticipated to be open for business during the summer period 2013-2014.

Environmental Services

Middleborough Road - Box Hill.The Box Hill site is well underway in its preparation for building works that will result in a major new retail landmark in Melbourne.

A number of contracting and civil works organizations are responsible for delivering the new project under the management of the principal builders. The Civil Contractors and Lantrak are providing a supporting role in the remediation of the site ahead of foundation works.

The project involves a detailed program involving the movement of 50,000 cubic metres of fill material which is being processed for offsite disposal. A large manufacturing company had formerly used the site for much of the last century and as is the case with these sites – not only must every last piece of demolition rubble be removed, but the foundation soil and clay also remediated and processed to form a solid clean base for the new building works.

One of the benefits of using Industrial Demolition and Environmental Services is that the company is not only expert in demolition works, but also applies the necessary technology for the site remediation required to bring such a site up to the required standard. Most projects today have an element of environmental or remediation works to ensure that the site is ready for its future use.

Industrial Environmental Services current site commitments include the use of four hydraulic excavators ranging from 20 to 50 tonne capacity, as well as other supporting plant and equipment.

The client has commissioned Industrial Environmental Services utilising the specific experience of their highly qualified site personnel.

Industrial Demolition & Environmental Services.P.O. Box 346 YarravilleVictoria 3013 (03) 9687 3877 (03) 9687 4084ABN 89 149 442 389www.industrialgroup.com.au

CSR Gyprock –Yarraville.Industrial Demolition is no stranger to providing deconstruction and demolition services for CSR at its Yarraville facility. One of the last remaining original buildings on this extensively redeveloped site, was demolished last month in a carefully managed and planned strategic exercise that saw the remaining façade of an old office building –and former hotel come down without any incidents.

The primary concern was the very tight proximity of the old structure to CSR’s new office building next door. Within a few hours the building was safely on the ground. The adjacent streets were temporarily closed to traffic, but there was very little disruption as the project was undertaken at dawn.

Assuredly, the efficiency of the project was contributed in large part to skilled demolition machine operator Tony Humphrey with support and

consultation from the Demolition CSR Work Team who skillfully removed the two storey façade without misplacing a single brick.

Demolition Services

InPutBreast Cancer FoundationIndustrial was pleased to be part of this event by assisting with sponsorship with an entry in the OTIS Foundation Murray Meander which raises money for the Breast Cancer Foundation and prostate cancer research.

The event consists of a fleet of tinnies travelling along the length of The Murray River in three one week stages over 3 years. In 2011 the event completed its second 2500km journey from the alps to the sea. 2012 sees the event again start from ‘the top’.

The 2012 event started from Bringenbrong Bridge Saturday on the 25th of February and proceeded along

the river over 8 days to the historic Port of Echuca.

Rotary Club of Sunshine.Industrial Demolition & Environmental Services recently sponsored the first

hole in the 2012 Rotary Club of Sunshine Golf Day which from all accounts is a highly successful event fundraising event for the club.

The Variety Club Bash.This now iconic event is always a favourite - both from the perspective of those that go in it and the towns that witness the fun and mayhem on the way. In 2010, Industrial formed a team with Huntsman Chemical Company of Australia for the long drive to Perth and beyond. The 64 Chevvy Belair was lucky to make it in the end, but that is half the fun of

this eccentric event which has raised millions of dollars for the Variety Club’s marvellous community work. Industrial is now looking forward to putting a team together for the 2013 event.

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