OSHA 3221-12N 2004
WORKER SAFETY SERIES
CONCRETE MANUFACTURING
11
Concrete Manufacturing
• More than 250,000 people work in concrete
manufacturing.
• Over 10 percent of those workers — 28,000 —
experienced a job-related injury or illness and
42 died in just one year.
• Potential hazards for workers in concrete
manufacturing:
■ Eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation
from exposure to cement dust;
■
Inadequate safety guards on equipment;
■
Inadequate lockout/tagout systems on
machinery;
■ Overexertion and awkward postures;
■ Slips, trips and falls; and
■ Chemical burns from wet concrete.
Hazards & Solutions
Manufacturing concrete can pose
health and safety risks for the worker.
For concrete manufacturing, the 10
OSHA standards most frequently
included in the agency’s citations
were:
1. Hazard communication
2. Lockout/tagout
3. Confined spaces
4. Respiratory protection
5. Guarding floor & wall openings
and holes
6. Electrical wiring methods
7. Noise exposure
8. Forklifts
9. Electrical systems design
10. Machine guarding
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration
Cement Dust
Hazard: Exposure to cement dust can irritate
eyes, nose, throat and the upper respiratory
system. Skin contact may result in moderate
irritation to thickening/cracking of skin to
severe skin damage from chemical burns.
Silica exposure can lead to lung injuries
including silicosis and lung cancer.
Solutions:
• Rinse eyes with water if they come into
contact with cement dust and consult a
physician.
• Use soap and water to wash off dust to
avoid skin damage.
• Wear a P-, N- or R-95 respirator to minimize
inhalation of cement dust.
• Eat and drink only in dust-free areas to
avoid ingesting cement dust.
Wet Concrete
Hazard: Exposure to wet concrete can result
in skin irritation or even first-, second- or
third-degree chemical burns. Compounds
such as hexavalent chromium may also be
har