Learn about construction site safety tips when working with dry and wet concrete.
While it’s important to know the basic safety precautions of working with concrete, the bare minimum is not enough. There are additional safety hazards to worry about, as dry and wet concrete can cause significant damages. Continue reading to learn about essential safety precautions to take seriously to ensure you and your employees stay safe on the job.
Required Safety Rules
Everyone who works with concrete should be aware of the required safety precautions by OSHA, including wearing gloves and safety glasses during a concrete pour, as well as have an eyewash station nearby. As stated above, these basic safety rules are not enough, and there are other crucial safety precautions to take when working with concrete.
Dry Concrete
Dry concrete can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as the skin. When dry concrete makes contact with skin, it can result in minor irritation to cracking of the skin. Those who are exposed to silica dust, a main component in dry concrete, for long periods of time are at risk for developing silicosis or lung cancer.
To ensure dry concrete does not cause any harm or damage, it’s important to follow the following safety precautions:
- If you get concrete dust in your eyes, immediately flush eyes out at the eyewash station.
- After working with dry concrete, wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly to avoid skin damage.
- To avoid developing serious illnesses, wear an N-95 respirator to decrease the inhalation of dust.
- When taking a break on a construction site, eat or drink in dust-free areas or inside to avoid ingesting any cement dust.
Wet Concrete
When working with wet concrete, it’s true to the risk of silica expose decreases, but there are still many hazards to be aware of. For example, an overexposure of wet concrete can result in many adverse health effects, and the following safety precautions should be taken seriously:
- To protect your skin and eyes, wear alkali-resistant gloves, long sleeves and long pants to keep skin covered, waterproof boots, and eye protection. It is good practice to keep extra gloves and safety glasses at construction sites.
- When wet concrete makes contact with skin, it can result in severe chemical burns. If this happens to you, wash the contaminated skin areas with cold water and non-alkaline soap as soon as possible to prevent skin damage.
- If wet concrete somehow gets on your face or in your eyes, use the eyewash station for 15 minutes and consider going to the hospital for more treatment.
Construction Site Safety Tips from Concrete Visions
Concrete Visions has over 12 years of experience and expertise in concrete scanning and we know how to detect any problems lurking beneath the surface. We use ground penetrating radar accurately and expertly and are familiar with many other methods that can be used when appropriate like concrete x-ray and electromagnetic conductivity. We are also very familiar with the latest construction safety techniques and train all of our workers to do their work quickly, accurately, and safely. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you, give us a call at (410) 766-2210 or visit us online. For more articles and tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.