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Safety Tips

Working with concrete is an everyday occurrence for tens of thousands of U.S. concrete workers and residential do-it-yourselfers. Few people involved in mixing, handling and finishing concrete experience serious injury.

However, anyone handling concrete for a major project or just a home patio, sidewalk, or driveway, should understand and practice a number of basic safety tips concerning protection, prevention, and common sense precautions. The tips that follow concern protecting your head, back, skin, and eyes.

PROTECT YOUR HEAD

Wear a hard hat for head protection!

Working on a construction site presents a variety of items to avoid that can cause serious head injury. Both construction equipment and tools are frequent potential hazards to concrete contractors and do-it-yourselfers.

PROTECT YOUR BACK

Be careful how you move heavy materials

Working with the normal materials that are required to make and pour concrete such as portland cement, aggregate, sand, and water can be very strenuous to the average person's back. Most of these materials are heavy even in small quantities.

Take care to lift properly

Keep your back straight and your legs bent to avoid serious back strain

When necessary, carry these materials properly

Keep them waist high and centered between your legs to lessen the chance for injury

Ask a co-worker or a neighbor for help

Use mechanical or manual equipment

Move materials as close to its final placement area with the help of equipment whenever possible. Use a cement mixer's chute, a concrete pump, or just a wheelbarrow to get the concrete placed.

Do not lift the concrete mix

Push the concrete to its final position with a shovel or similar tool.

PROTECT YOUR SKIN

Watch for skin irritation and chemical burns when working with fresh concrete

Severe burns can result with on-going contact between fresh concrete and skin surfaces, eyes, and clothing.

Wear protective clothing

Waterproof gloves, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants keep the concrete from making contact with your skin.

Wear rubber boots

If you must stand in the fresh concrete while it is being placed, screeded, or floated, wear boots to prevent concrete from making contact with your lower legs, ankles and feet.

Use waterproof pads

protect your skin, knees, elbows, or hands from contact with fresh concrete during finishing.

Avoid direct skin contact

Sand and aggregate are very abrasive to your skin so direct contact should be avoided; Wet cement is basic and as such, is injurious to your skin. Do NOT handle portland cement directly as it will draw moisture from your skin.

Wear clean, dry clothes

Clean, dry, clothing is a must for each work day. Protective clothing stays dry so it does not transfer the alkaline or hygroscopic effects to the skin.Rinse clothing saturated from contact with fresh concrete quickly with fresh water.

Wash away potential hazards

Take a bath or shower at the end of the work day or the conclusion of your do-it-yourself project.

Flush eyes and skin; Seek medical help

Immediately flush eyes and skin that come in contact with fresh concrete with clean water.if minor burns persist, get treated by a physician. Seek immediate medical help if burns affect a large area of your skin or appear to be deep.

PROTECT YOUR EYES

Wear proper eye protection

Splattering concrete and blowing dust can easily enter your eyes during a concrete placement. Full cover goggles or safety glasses with side shields may be necessary depending on the conditions at your project.