Concrete pour hazards

Concrete pouring operations in construction present several safety hazards that require careful management to ensure worker safety. These hazards include collapse risks, falling objects, and exposure to hazardous materials.

Potential Safety Hazards:

• Collapse Risks: Trench cave-ins can result in serious injuries or fatalities. Trenches 5' or deeper require protective systems like shoring or sloping. Unsafe trenches are dangerous and trenches more than 20 feet in depth must be designed by a registered professional engineer.
• Falling Objects: Workers can be struck by moving objects or equipment. Being struck by objects is a leading cause of construction fatalities and injuries.
• Exposure to Hazardous Materials: Construction workers may be exposed to hazardous materials that lead to occupational illnesses such as:
• Lung cancer among asbestos insulation workers, roofers, welders, and woodworkers
• Silicosis among sand blasters, tunnel builders, rock drill operators, masonry and concrete workers
• Asbestosis and mesothelioma among asbestos insulation workers, steam pipe fitters, building demolition workers, and sheet metal workers
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among cement masons, brick masons, plasterers, sheet metal workers, and welders
• Skin diseases among laborers who work with cement or concrete, masons, tile setters, terrazzo workers, painters, and others
• Neurologic disorders among painters, welders and other workers exposed to organic solvents and metals (e.g., lead, chromium, manganese).

Safety Measures and Regulations:

• Fall Prevention: Falls are the most frequent cause of fatalities in construction. Employees exposed to an unprotected side or edge which is 6 feet or more above a lower level shall be protected from falling by and trained in the use of guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems.
• Trench Safety: Protect workers from cave-ins when trenches are at least 5' deep and from shallower trenches where a cave-in hazard exists by supporting the walls with shoring, shielding workers with trench boxes, or sloping the walls back wide enough, per the OSHA Excavation Standard. Provide ladders to workers when working in trenches of at least 4'.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Ensure workers use appropriate PPE, including high-visibility clothing when working around vehicle traffic.
• Training and Competent Person: All workers should be trained by a competent person on how to correctly use a PFAS. A competent person must inspect each trench worksite, including the soil protective system, before the start of work, and again if there is a hazard-increasing change in conditions, like a rainstorm.
• Site Management: Keep spoils back a minimum of 2' from the trench edge. Do not allow employees to work under suspended or raised loads or materials.

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