Top Takeaways From Demolition New Orleans: Safety, Skills and Shared Lessons
April 22, 2025
The National Demolition Association (NDA) welcomed more than 1,300 attendees to Demolition New Orleans, held March 5-8, for four days of networking, industry innovation and top-tier professional development. Among the packed agenda of events, a standout component was the robust lineup of education sessions, reflecting NDA’s ongoing commitment to promoting safety, workforce development and industry excellence.
Three sessions in particular highlighted the depth and diversity of NDA’s educational programming, ranging from technical insights to cultural shifts within the demolition workforce. Here’s a closer look at those sessions and what attendees took away.
Key Industrial Hygiene (IH) Concepts in Demolition
In a powerful session, Colleen Loredo, CIH, CHMM, CPESC, director of environmental services and occupational health at Independence Excavating Inc., offered a crash course on the foundational principles of industrial hygiene (IH) tailored to demolition professionals. 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’s message was clear: An effective IH program can significantly reduce health risks and help ensure a safer environment for workers and surrounding communities.
Lessons Learned: Promoting Safety Through Shared Experiences
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. Panelists included Frank Bodami of Total Wrecking and Environmental LLC; Doug Thomas of Independence Excavating Inc.; and Cassie Dumoulin of Burns and McDonnell.
Key takeaways included:
- Openness Matters: The demolition industry benefits when companies break down competitive silos and openly share safety challenges and learnings.
- Changing the Narrative: Admitting to 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. These stories resonated deeply with the audience, 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 of training the next generation.
- A Call to Action: The session concluded with a powerful challenge: 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.
NDA Education Highlights
This session served as both a tour and a testament to NDA’s growing suite of educational programs, designed to meet the needs of professionals across every career stage. As speakers noted, with no university programs dedicated to demolition, NDA’s training is filling a critical gap. Speakers included Steve Schwartz of H&K Group Inc., Greg Menen of Mendil Enterprises Inc. and Brian McKinney of Gayanga Co.
Attendees were introduced to several cornerstone programs:
- Hands-On Equipment Maintenance Course: A half-day program aimed at field technicians, focusing on practical equipment maintenance and best practices.
- Superintendent Boot Camp: An intensive, pre-convention, one-day course covering everything from preplanning and documentation to communication and equipment management.
- Foundations of Demolition Management Certificate Program: A four-course, 40-hour program that includes training in estimating, project management, cost tracking, and risk management — with upcoming sessions scheduled for April and fall 2025 in Washington, D.C.
- NEW: Demolition Methods, Planning and Design Course: A one-day course launching in June that introduces the engineering concepts behind demolition, from structural behavior to safe planning practices — offering CE credit and a strong educational foundation (though not a replacement for engineering licensure).
The session not only walked through the logistics of each course but emphasized why these programs exist: to elevate the professionalism of the demolition industry, reduce risk and open doors for new talent.
Looking Ahead
The educational sessions at Demolition New Orleans highlighted how NDA is leading the charge when it comes to workforce development, technical expertise and safety in demolition. Whether through sharing hard-earned lessons, mastering IH fundamentals or engaging with new training opportunities, attendees left New Orleans with valuable knowledge — and a renewed commitment to their craft.