IAMU Informer
Follow IAMU!
  • Informer News Feed
  • IAMU Website

Toolbox Talk - Treating Concrete Burns

8/2/2018

0 Comments

 
The United States produced 83.5 million tons of Portland cement in 2017, and imported even more. With concrete increasingly becoming the building material of choice, more employees are exposed to significant hazards.
Picture
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports:
  • Lost workdays in the masonry fields are 2.5 times greater than for other construction activities.
  • Concrete workers report four times more lost workdays for skin problems than other construction workers.

Skin burns are just one of the common hazards associated with concrete.  Dry cement contains calcium oxide that, when exposed to water, creates calcium hydroxide with a pH of 12-14. Contact with corrosive cement over periods of time make it likely that a burn will happen. Be sure to wear eye protection – full-cover goggles or safety glasses with side shields to protect against blowing dust (the moisture in the eyes will mix with the dust, making it caustic), splattering concrete and other foreign objects.

Once the eyes or the skin areas have been directly exposed to wet concrete, immediate steps should be followed to slow the burning process:
  • Remove any contaminated clothing, being careful not to touch unexposed areas. Promptly rinse clothes in clean water.
  • Gently brush any dry chemicals off the skin and flush the affected area with clean running water for at least 20 minutes. To help neutralize the alkalinity, add vinegar or a buffer to the water (a fact proven by a study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons). Vinegar and similar weak acids help neutralize the alkaline substance 15 minutes faster than using water alone, the study found.
  • If the eyes are involved, rinse eyes with clean water for 20 minutes.
  • Seek professional medical attention immediately if the burn is more than 3 inches across, very deep, or covers the hands, feet, face, groin, or a major joint. Delaying treatment can mean the difference between a mild burn and a severe burn.
  • Provide the medical personnel with a product Safety Data Sheet, which explains the skin hazards of concrete exposure and first aid procedures.

Remove all jewelry, watches, belts, etc., because the wet concrete can become trapped against the skin.

If your clothing becomes saturated, change it. Wet clothing will transmit alkalinity via a “hygroscopic” process, in which the fabric molecules actually become charged and will intensify the skin burn. Workers need to be especially careful when removing gloves, boots, and other work clothes so as not to contaminate other skin areas.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

      Subscribe To The Informer

      You can subscribe to The Informer by adding the RSS feed to your feed reader. Or, to request to be added to our weekly email blast, provide your information below.  NOTE-you must be an IAMU member (utility, affiliate, or associate) to receive the email blast.
    Submit

    Archives

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    RSS Feed

Picture

Copyright 2018 Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities