WORKING SAFELY WITH CONCRETE

Homeowners will find ready-mixed concrete is a safe construction material, if safety conscious work practices and common sense precautions are taken when concrete is in its plastic (unhardened) state.

Wet (plastic) concrete is caustic, a product of its alkaline chemical composition.  Prolonged contact between fresh concrete and skin surfaces, eyes, and clothing may result in severe burns, including third-degree burns.

The U.S. Consumer Safety Commission, in conjunction with the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, developed the following warning for consumers working with wet (plastic) concrete:

Contact with wet (plastic) concrete, mortar, cement, or cement mixtures can cause SKIN IRRITATION, SEVERE CHEMICAL BURNS (THIRD-DEGREE), or SERIOUS EYE DAMAGE.  Frequent exposure may be associated with irritant and/or allergic contact dermatitis.  Avoid contact with eyes and skin.

Common sense project precautions when working with ready-mixed concrete in its plastic state include:

• Begin each concrete project workday wearing clean clothing.
• Wear waterproof gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, full-length trousers, and proper eye protection (goggles or safety glasses with side shields).
• If you have to stand in wet concrete, use waterproof boots that are high enough to keep concrete from flowing into them.
• If you are finishing concrete, wear waterproof pads to protect your knees and elbows.
• Provide clean water at the job site and wash wet concrete, mortar, cement, or cement mixtures from your skin immediately. The best way to avoid skin irritation is to wash frequently with a pH neutral soap and clean water.
• Should concrete get in your eyes, immediately after contact flush your eyes for 15-minutes with clean water.  Then consult with a physician.
• Promptly rinse out wet concrete, mortar, cement, or cement mixtures from clothing, to prevent continued contact with skin surfaces.  Indirect contact with wet concrete, transmitted from saturated clothing, can cause serious skin irritation and chemical burns.
• Seek immediate medical attention if contact with wet cement causes persistent or severe discomfort.
• Conclude each concrete project work day with a bath or shower.

Footprints or Handprints In Ready-Mixed Concrete …

Placing your child's handprints or footprints in freshly placed concrete is cute and can provide long lasting, cast-in-place keepsakes.  But as stated above, wet concrete is caustic and does not mix well with bare skin.  If you feel you must customize your concrete with handprints, have your child wear food preparation gloves before making hand impressions.  For footprints, place Saran Wrap or other clear polyethylene cling wrap over the area of the concrete where you want to make the footprints. As an added precaution, make sure your child thoroughly washes her/his hands or feet after making the impressions in the fresh concrete.

Other Precautions …

Carelessness and misuse of tools and construction equipment can create potential job site hazards.  Homeowners working with ready-mixed concrete should take steps to protect themselves.  Staying alert and using proper safety equipment are keys to working safely on any job site.

Homeowners should wear head protection when working around chutes, concrete pumps, or material conveyors and be alert when working near bullfloats, concrete rakes, and other tools with long handles.

A cubic foot of concrete weighs approximately 150 pounds.  When possible, use truck chutes or other mechanical equipment to place the ready-mixed concrete as close to the final position as possible. To move concrete within a slab or pavement form, use a short-handled, square-ended shovel or a concrete rake.  Long-handled shovels and long-handled garden rakes do not move concrete well, can cause back injury, and promote mix segregation.

When lifting or working with heavy materials on the job site, keep your back straight, bend your legs, and maintain the weight between your legs as close to your body as possible.  Do not twist at the waist while using a wheelbarrow, lifting, or carrying construction materials or supplies.  Avoid straining your back from lifting overly heavy loads.  Instead, make two trips or get help lifting heavy materials, equipment, or supplies.

Using equipment and tools incorrectly can cause injury … even death.  Concrete sawing equipment can be dangerous when under the control of a novice.  Sharp-edged tools can cause injury to the user or co-workers.

Remember to wear hearing protection if using power equipment for extended periods.

Site Conditions …

Confined projects or sections of a project can affect job site safety.  Projects exposed to traffic, overhead or underground utility wires, excavations, or hazardous materials can produce unsafe conditions. Even weather can result in injury or illness, or combine with other safety risks to injure people working with ready-mixed concrete.  Enforce job site house-keeping to reduce or eliminate trip hazards for neighbors, family members, and friends helping with your concrete project.

Schmitz Ready Mix Main Office: 5400 N. 124th St. Milwaukee, WI 53225 | Phone: 414.831.2400 | Fax: 414.462.8812 | email

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