The National Demolition Association (NDA) welcomed more than 1,300 attendees to Demolition New Orleans March 5-8, 2025, for four days of networking, innovation, and professional development. The packed agenda included the annual Live DEMOlition Event and educational sessions promoting safety, workforce development, and industry excellence.
NDA provided a closer look at two important sessions from the event and what attendees took away.
Loredo walked attendees through a five-part approach to safeguarding workers’ health on the job site:
- Anticipation — Proactively identifying potential hazards like asbestos, lead, and PCBs based on building materials and site history
- Recognition — Performing thorough inspections to uncover visible and hidden risks
- Evaluation — Using tools such as air sampling and biological monitoring to assess worker exposure and inform mitigation strategies
- Control — Applying the hierarchy of controls — from elimination and engineering controls to PPE — to manage risk effectively
- Confirmation — Routinely verifying the effectiveness of these controls through monitoring and worker health surveillance
The session reinforced that industrial hygiene isn’t just a compliance issue; it’s a cornerstone of safety culture. Loredo stressed that an effective IH program can significantly reduce health risks and help ensure a safer environment for workers and surrounding communities.
One of the most impactful sessions of the conference was also one of its most personal. The “Lessons Learned” panel brought together demolition professionals from different companies to talk candidly about mistakes, missteps, and the valuable safety lessons those experiences yielded.
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Panelists included Frank Bodami of Total Wrecking & Environmental; Doug Thomas of Independence Excavating, Inc.; Cassie Dumoulin of Burns & McDonnell; and John Satterwhite of ROMCO Equipment Co. and Chair of NDA’s Safety Committee.
Key takeaways included:
- Openness matters — The demolition industry benefits when companies break down competitive silos and openly share safety challenges and learning
- Changing the narrative — Admitting mistakes doesn’t indicate weakness; it signals growth, maturity, and a commitment to continuous improvement
- Powerful real-world stories — Panelists shared raw, honest accounts of projects that didn’t go as planned, reinforcing how quickly things can go wrong and how much can be learned in the aftermath.
- Mentorship through storytelling — Sharing lessons learned isn’t just about peer learning; it’s a key method to train the next generation
- Call to action — The session concluded with a powerful challenge to speak up; every demolition professional has a story that can help someone else stay safer
In a field where safety is paramount, this session underscored the importance of creating a culture of vulnerability, reflection, and shared responsibility.
The educational sessions at Demolition New Orleans highlighted the efforts of NDA and its members to improve workforce development, technical expertise, and safety in demolition. Attendees left New Orleans with valuable knowledge and a renewed commitment to their craft, their customers, and the communities they serve.
