Safety briefing - cement and concrete

This briefing provides an overview of the risks and hazards associated with the use of concrete and cement. It also identifies how these risks can be effectively managed.

What’s covered?

The aim of this Safety Briefing - Cement and Concrete is to highlight the risks and hazards associated with these materials. Cement and concrete are so common on a construction site that you probably don’t think much about them. But did you know that cement and concrete dust can cause lung damage and that you can suffer an allergic reaction from skin contact with cement?

Control measures

Control measures include minimising the amount of dust that’s produced, wearing appropriate personal protective equipment and washing any material from the skin as quickly as possible.

Key points

Attendees must take note of the following key points:

• “Always check the MSDS sheet before handling cement.
• Stay out of dusty areas if you can.
• Wet down the work to keep dust out of the air.
• Use power tools with HEPA filters when you’re cutting or drilling concrete.
• Use a special HEPA vacuum to clean up dust, not dry sweeping.
• Wear a respirator with HEPA cartridges if there’s a lot of dust in the air.”