Working as an unrestricted or restricted demolition licence holder

What you need to know if you work for, or run, a business as a restricted or unrestricted demolition licence holder in NSW.

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Key information

  1. Demolition work includes demolishing or dismantling a structure or part of a structure that is either load bearing or related to the physical integrity of the structure.
  2. You must hold a current demolition (DE1) or restricted demolition licence (DE2) if you want to work as a demolisher.
  3. In NSW, you must meet certain training and experience requirements before you can work in demolition.

Demolition is high risk construction work. It doesn't include:

  • dismantling formwork, falsework, or other structures used to provide support, access or containment during construction
  • removing power poles, light poles, telephone poles, temporary structures.

Licensing and training

Unrestricted demolition

You need an unrestricted demolition licence (DE1) to demolish or partly demolish any structure or part of a structure that is loadbearing or otherwise related to the physical integrity of the structure and:

  • is over 15 metres high, or
  • is a chemical installation, or
  • involves a tower crane on site, or
  • involves a mobile crane with a rated capacity of more than 100 tonnes, or
  • has structural components that are pre-tensioned or post-tensioned, or
  • involves floor propping, or
  • involves explosives.

Restricted demolition

You need a restricted demolition licence (DE2) to demolish or partly demolish any structure or part of a structure that is loadbearing or otherwise related to the physical integrity of the structure and:

  • is between 6-15 metres high, or
  • involves using load-shifting machinery on a suspended floor, such as bulldozers, cranes, excavators, front-end and skid-steer loaders.

Find out how to apply for your licence on the unrestricted demolition licence page and the restricted demolition licence page.

SafeWork NSW recommends that only licensed demolition professionals do demolition work. Find a licensed demolition professional at Verify.licence.

Training and compliance

Businesses, employers and other persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) have a general duty to provide information, training and instruction to their workers.

Demolition work has specific formal training and licensing requirements.

To get a demolition licence, you/your workers must complete training with a registered training organisation (RTO) and have the required experience.

SafeWork NSW may conduct audits to ensure you are complying with your regulatory obligations.

Laws to follow

There are laws you must follow to ensure your safety, the safety of the community and to meet the requirements of your licence.

To help you comply with the laws, go to the:

Further information on demolition methods can be found, at a cost, in AS 2601–2001: The demolition of structures.

Demolition licence holders and their employees must follow the acts and regulations that govern demolition work:

Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 governs the disposal of waste under the regulator, NSW Environment Protection Authority.

Find out more about SafeWork NSW's approach to work health and safety.

Planning and notifying

To protect yourself and others in the vicinity of demolition, you must carry out risk management planning before work begins.

You will need to identify hazards, assess risks and determine appropriate control measures in consultation with all relevant persons involved in the work.

Managing risk

You’ll need to identify potential hazards and assess the risks so you can eliminate or minimise risks, or put control measures in place, before work starts.

Identify hazards

Potential demolition hazards include:

  • unplanned structure collapse
  • falls from heights
  • falling objects
  • the location of above-ground and underground essential services including the supply of gas, water, sewerage, telecommunications, electricity, chemicals, fuel and refrigerant in pipes or lines
  • exposure to asbestos
  • exposure to hazardous chemicals—these may be present in demolished material or in the ground where demolition work is to be carried out, such as contaminated soil
  • exposure to excessive noise from plant and explosives used in demolition work
  • the proximity of the building or structure being demolished to other buildings or structures
  • moving plant.

Assess risks

The nature and severity of risks will depend on various factors, including the:

  • structure to be demolished and its structural integrity
  • method of demolition including its sequencing
  • scheduling of the work
  • layout of the workplace including whether there are fall hazards both for people and objects
  • what plant and equipment will be used and the skill and experience required by the people who will use it safely
  • what exposures might occur, for example to noise or ultraviolet (UV) rays
  • the number of people involved, and
  • local weather conditions.

For further information visit chapter 4, Controlling risks in demolition work, in the Code of practice: Demolition work (PDF, 668.8 KB).

Notify SafeWork NSW

The licence holder must notify SafeWork NSW at least 5 calendar days before starting any demolition work that involves:

  • demolishing a structure or part of a structure that is loadbearing or otherwise related to the physical integrity of the structure more than six metres high
  • load-shifting machinery (eg an excavator) on a suspended floor
  • explosives.

You can lodge the notification electronically using our online notification system. Set up your notification profile with the help of our SafeWork online notification system user guide (PDF, 6271.96 KB).

Find more information about when to notify us at Demolition notifications under Emergency demolition of a structure or plant involving asbestos.

Develop a demolition work plan

As the demolition licence holder, it is best practice for you to prepare a site-specific demolition control plan before you begin work, to ensure workers and the public are not at risk when you carry out demolition work.

Demolition licence holders can use Appendix B – Demolition plan in the Code of Practice – Demolition work (PDF, 668.8 KB) as a guide.

Develop a safe work method statement

The demolition licence holder must prepare a site-specific safe work method statement (PDF, 166.25 KB) (SWMS) before starting any demolition work.

The SWMS must:

  • identify work that is high risk construction work
  • specify hazards relating to the high risk construction work (for example, falls from heights, electrical), and risks to health and safety associated with those hazards
  • describe the measures to be used to control the risks
  • describe how the control measures are to be implemented, monitored and reviewed.

For further detail about the many methods and risks associated with demolition, read the Code of Practice – Demolition work (PDF, 668.8 KB) and the Code of Practice – Construction work (PDF, 1014.41 KB) .

Latest updates

You will need to ensure your demolition workers have mandatory training by 1 March 2025. For more information, go to our general demolition page.

Related information

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