Demolition Operative

Typical Salary

£14,000 To £30,000

Typical Hours

42 to 44 a week

evenings / weekends / bank holidays away from home

How To Become a Demolition Operative

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
applying directly

College / University

You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job. Relevant courses include:

Level 1 Certificate in Construction Skills
Level 2 Diploma in Construction Operations
Level 3 Diploma in Demolition

2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

Apprenticeship

You may be able to start by doing an demolition operative intermediate apprenticeship.

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You may be able to work as a site labourer, plant operator or construction tradesperson and take on-the-job training in demolition.

You could apply for jobs directly with demolition contractors if you have construction work experience. Some employers may ask for GCSEs in maths, English, and design and technology, or equivalent qualifications.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

to be thorough and pay attention to detail
knowledge of public safety and security
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
knowledge of maths
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
to be flexible and open to change
the ability to work well with your hands
the ability to use your initiative
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

Your tasks will depend on your role, and you could work as a:

labourer – preparing the site, putting up rails and safety screens, laying dustsheets and separating out re-usable building materials after demolition
mattockman or mattockwoman – stripping out fittings, removing doors and windows, dismantling roof structures
topman or topwoman – doing all the tasks of the others as well as cutting steel framework at heights, stripping off fragile roofs and instructing others in safe demolition practices

You might use:

tools like hammer drills and oxyacetylene cutting equipment
plant machinery
explosives
crane-mounted industrial magnets to recover metals
burners to incinerate materials
crushers to put concrete slabs through to make aggregate for road building
specialist equipment to safely remove hazardous materials like asbestos and toxic chemicals

Working Environment

You could work on a construction site.

Your working environment may be physically demanding.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Registration

a Certificate of Competence for Demolition Operatives (CCDO) card is usually required to work on site

Further information

You can find out more about working in demolition from Go Construct.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

be over 18 years of age