Health and Safety
Concrete burns! Wear your PPE!
Wet concrete can cause burns and other health issues
We are only the supplier of ready mixed concrete and pump hire and cannot accept any responsibility for harm that may be caused to you or your employees.
You, the customer, are the health and safety officer for your site or project and should ensure that you are aware of the risks involved in the ordering of wet ready mix concrete and have a risk & method statements for the works to be carried out.
When working with wet concrete please be mindful of the below:
- Eyes: Contact with eyes may cause irritation, inflammation and alkali burns.
- Skin: Contact with skin may result in irritant contact dermatitis and/or ulceration due to the combination of wetness, alkalinity, and abrasiveness of the cement mixture. Allergic contact dermatitis may be caused by individual sensitivity to chromium compounds which occur in cement.
- Ingestion: Would cause severe irritation due to alkaline burn to the lining of the throat and gut. In most cases of ingestion the more immediate problem will be potential blockage of the airways and gullet.
To avoid we suggest the folowing PPE:
- Protective overalls/trousers and a full sleeved top
- Safety Boots or Wellingtons
- Protective Gloves and Glasses
- Hard Hat c/w ear defenders if using a concrete vibrator
Should you come into contact with wet concrete, whether directly or through saturated clothing, wash immediately !
- Eyes: The eyes should be immediately and thoroughly irrigated with water for at least 10 minutes and then medical advice should be sought.
- Skin: Contaminated skin should be washed with soap and cold running water as soon as possible. Particular attention should be paid to any wounds which should be covered with suitable dressing. They will require additional cleaning as any cementitious/ alkali materials left in an open wound could cause severe issues. This includes contact through contaminated clothing. Any contaminated clothing should be removed immediately and washed before re-use.
When laying or handling Concrete, Screed or Mortar, care must be taken to avoid contact with skin as due to the alkaline nature of cement it can cause skin irritations and burns.
Health & Safety Risks
Risks from contact with wet concrete
Wet concrete, mortar and screed are strong alkalis. Contact with skin or the eyes may cause serious burns and ulceration or an acute allergic reaction in some people. Suitable clothing including impervious gloves, long sleeves, eye protection and boots are essential. In the event of eye contact wash immediately with plenty of water and seek urgent medical attention.
Risks from equipment
All equipment and even hand tools can present a risk if used incorrectly. People can be under increased pressure to finish quickly as the concrete sets so it is always worth ensuring everyone understands the operating instructions before the job starts. If the mixer truck is fitted with an auger or a pump is used, provide an adequate ‘exclusion zone’ to prevent accidental injury.
Risks from slips, trips and lifting
Wet concrete makes surfaces slippery and it is obviously very heavy.
We as a supplier of mixed on site concrete, screed, ready-mix concrete & concrete pumping will undertake the supplying of our product under the customers guidance.
We do not offer a supply & lay service or levelling service. However we can advise should you need help. Upon arriving our operators should have suitable access roadside to offload the required product. It is the responsibility of the customer to have clear access free from any obstruction e.g. parked vehicles.
If there is a risk of concrete splashes on parked vehicles or any other property please sheet over to protect. Our operators will do their best to keep work area clean as possible though please note concrete is classed as dirty works so please expect some cleaning up afterwards which our operator will assist with.
Should our delivery vehicles be asked to leave the public highway this will only be done after our operator has inspected the access road & finds access suitable?
Our terms of delivery will be shown & a signature will be required to accept our terms & then only will the vehicle leave the public road.
If we are asked to quote on your measurements given please be precise! We are a reputable company who have our onsite mixers regularly calibrated & we have our ready-mix concrete tested in accordance with bsi terms weekly.