OSHA 3221-12N 2004

1 OSHA 3221-12N 2004 WORKER SAFETY SERIESCONCRETE MANUFACTURING11 Concrete Manufacturing More than 250,000 people work in concretemanufacturing. Over 10 percent of those workers 28,000 experienced a job-related injury or illness and42 died in just one year. Potential hazards for workers in concretemanufacturing: 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 & SolutionsManufacturing concrete can posehealth and safety risks for the concrete manufacturing, the 10 OSHA standards most frequentlyincluded in the agency s citationswere: 1. Hazard communication 2.

2 Lockout/tagout 3. Confined spaces 4. Respiratory protection 5. Guarding floor & wall openings and holes 6. Electrical wiring methods 7. Noise exposure8. Forklifts 9. Electrical systems design 10. Machine guardingOccupational Safety and Health AdministrationOccupational Safety and Health AdministrationOccupational Safety and Health AdministrationOccupational Safety and Health AdministrationCement DustHazard:Exposure to cement dust can irritateeyes, nose, throat and the upper respiratorysystem. Skin contact may result in moderateirritation to thickening/cracking of skin tosevere skin damage from chemical exposure can lead to lung injuriesincluding silicosis and lung : Rinse eyes with water if they come intocontact with cement dust and consult aphysician.

3 Use soap and water to wash off dust toavoid skin damage. Wear a P-, N- or R-95 respirator to minimizeinhalation of cement dust. Eat and drink only in dust-free areas toavoid ingesting cement ConcreteHazard:Exposure to wet concrete can resultin skin irritation or even first-, second- orthird-degree chemical burns. Compoundssuch as hexavalent chromium may also : Wear alkali-resistant gloves, coveralls withlong sleeves and full-length pants, water-proof boots and eye protection. Wash contaminated skin areas with cold,running water as soon as possible. Rinse eyes splashed with wet concrete withwater for at least 15 minutes and then go tothe hospital for further SAFETY SERIESCONCRETE MANUFACTURING3 Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationOccupational Safety and Health AdministrationMachine GuardingHazard:Unguarded machinery used in themanufacturing process can lead to : Maintain conveyor belt systems to avoidjamming and use care in clearing jams.

4 Ensure that guards are in place to protectworkers using mixers, block makers, cubersand metalworking machinery such as rebarbenders, cutters and cage rollers. Establish and follow effective lockout/tagoutprocedures when servicing equipment. Be sure appropriate guards are in place onpower tools before using ObjectsHazard:Workers may be hit by fallingobjects from conveyor belt systems, eleva-tors or concrete block stacking : Avoid working beneath cuber elevators,conveyor belts and stacker/destackermachinery. Stack and store materials properly to limitthe risk of falling objects. Wear eye protection when chipping andcleaning forms, products or ErgonomicsHazard:Improper lifting, awkward posturesand repetitive motions can lead to sprains,strains and other musculoskeletal : Use handtrucks or forklifts when possible.

5 Lift properly and get a coworker to help if aproduct is too heavy. Avoid twisting while carrying a load. Shiftyour feet and take small steps in the direc-tion you want to turn. Keep floors clear to avoid slipping and trip-ping hazards. Avoid working in awkward SAFETY SERIESCONCRETE MANUFACTURING5 Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationOccupational Safety and Health AdministrationConfined SpacesHazard:Mixers and ready-mix trucks haveconfined spaces that pose safety risks : Follow established procedures for confinedspace entry and work to assure safety. Guard against heat stress when cleaningtruck mixer drums. Wear appropriate protective equipment toavoid silica exposure when removing con-crete residues from inside truck :Poorly maintained or improperlyhandled vehicles can lead to crushing injuriesat the plant site or other injuries for truck : Make sure back-up alarms on all vehiclesare functioning.

6 Avoid overloading cranes and hoists. Use care with the load out chute on con-crete mixers to avoid injuries to hands andfingers. Beware of hot surfaces on equipment andtruck components. Guard eyes against splashes of aggregatematerials during loading and unloading. Use hearing protection if needed to guardagainst excessive noise exposure duringcement loading/unloading and while usingpneumatic chippers inside truck SAFETY SERIESCONCRETE MANUFACTURING7 Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationOccupational Safety and Health AdministrationWorker Safety TipsGeneral Precautions Be sure you understand how to perform allyour tasks and how to use tools and equip-ment safely. Follow confined space procedures whencleaning and working in mixer drums, hop-pers, tanks and other places with potentiallyserious mechanical hazards, such as bladesor sloping sides which may entrap employ-ees, or atmospheric hazards, such as oxy-gen deficiency.

7 Wear appropriate personal protective equip-ment to avoid being injured by flying orfalling Safety Be sure that trucks and other vehicles are ingood working order, including audible back-up warning signals, before operating them. Avoid overloading hoists, cranes and SAFETY SERIESCONCRETE MANUFACTURING9 Other Hazards Welding operations can lead to flash burns. Makeshift ladders, platforms and stairs with improper or no guardrails make fallsmore likely. Workers can also be injured by falling concrete forms if the forms are improperlychocked, braced or Safety and Health AdministrationOccupational Safety and Health AdministrationThink Safety ChecklistsThe following checklists may helpyou take steps to avoid hazards thatcause injuries, illnesses and always, be cautious and seek helpif you are concerned about a poten-tial Safety Implement a comprehensive safety andhealth management system to find andfix all hazards at the worksite.

8 Establish a written hazard communicationprogram to inform all employees aboutchemical hazards and hazardous sub-stances, reporting of hazards, appropriatepersonal protective equipment and whatto do in emergency situations. Train workers in safe work practices andmethods for all work activities, proce-dures and equipment as well as how torecognize and respond to potential work-place hazards, including rendering firstaid. Put in place personal protective equip-ment programs. Train workers in select-ing, cleaning and maintaining equipmentsuch as respirators, protective clothingand goggles. Use safe work practices and appropriatepersonal protective equipment for allwelding, cutting and burning; handling ofchemicals ( , moist concrete, epoxies,form release agents); and during grind-ing, chipping, wire brushing, scrapingand SAFETY SERIESCONCRETE MANUFACTURING11 Machine Safety Use lockout/tagout procedures to de-energize conveyors and other machinerybefore attempting to free any jams.

9 Secure chutes and hatches to reduceinjuries from swinging parts. Make sure guards are in place to protectyou from moving parts of machinery andtools before you operate the Hazards Be sure that form work, casting and stress-ing operations are adequately braced and chocked to avoid sudden release ofmaterials. Make certain that rigging is in place to pro-tect against falling objects and materialsduring hoisting and stacking procedures. Do not walk or work under overhead loads. Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationOccupational Safety and Health Administration Use special HEPA vacuums to clean updust instead of dry sweeping. Reduce silica exposures during chipping,drilling and sawing of concrete materialswith engineering controls, such as wetmethods and local exhaust ventilation.

10 Fall Hazards Identify and fix fall hazards, such as slip-pery surfaces, damaged ladders andwalkways, and any loose or unsteadyhand- or footholds used to climb up anddown on trucks and other equipment. Make sure all portable ladders have safe-ty feet and are the proper length for thespecific task. Secure them or tie them offto prevent movement. Ensure scaffolding and walking/workingsurfaces have adequate guardrails, safeaccessibility and no tripping hazards Implement appropriate work practicesand/or controls to help reduce or elimi-nate potential back injuries from twisting,turning, lifting, awkward postures andwhole body vibration. Train workers in appropriate mechanicaland manual materials handling tech-niques and safety procedures to helpreduce or eliminate musculoskeletalinjuries.