Concrete Cutting Safety

Jun 10
16:12

2021

Nancy Whitman

Nancy Whitman

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Concrete cutting is one of the significant activities that take place during any construction work. Although the art of concrete cutting looks pretty straightforward when placed side-by-side with other activities on construction on site, concrete cutting can adversely affect your health.

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Concrete cutting is one of the significant activities that take place during any construction work. Although the art of concrete cutting looks pretty straightforward when placed side-by-side with other activities on construction on site,Concrete Cutting Safety Articles concrete cutting can adversely affect your health. 

Aside from your health, in any area where concrete cutting is taking place, the dust emanating from the site can also be destructive to other complete jobs on site. For instance, areas already painted may have to be retouched due to dust and dirt from concrete cutting.

Decorative cutting service can be used for drive ways, patios, foot paths and more.

Dust emanating from concrete cutting can have adverse effects on your eyes, and also, if care is not taken, excessive inhaling of concrete dust can damage your lungs. 

How to control dust during concrete cutting?

Two primary methods used in controlling dust during concrete cutting are wet cutting and electric-powered tools.

  • Wet cutting 

Wet cutting is when the dust is usually collected in cooling water and pneumatic that extracts the dust away in an airstream. The diamond cutting blade or abrasive disk cutting, such as a saw, is used in cutting concrete. The water used is to cool down and lubricate the device used.

Also, there must be a provision where the cooling water can be channeled into drainage or any wet vac to avoid a situation where the cooling water will splash and spread to unwanted areas on the construction site.

 

  • Electric powered tools

The use of electric-powered tools increases the speed of completing the task. However, there must be a provision for a precautionary structure such as appropriate ground fault protection, adequate grounding, and insulation to prevent the machine's operator from suffering bodily injury.

Why you should be watchful when cutting

Either you are making use of the wet cutting approach using a diamond cutting blade or electrical powered tools such as core drilling machines to cut the concrete on a straight line or cube structure, you must be cautious of other hidden elements inside the concrete. 

Before any concrete cutting occurs, you should make a concerted effort to locate the position where other elements such as iron bars, pipes, and conduits are buried in the concrete. 

Naturally, a blade can easily penetrate through any form of conduit. However, to protect the machine operator and those around the cutting site, every power line found within the vicinity where the concrete cutting is taking place should be shut down or de-energized to prevent causing havoc during the exercise.

Conclusion 

To ensure a stress-free and smooth job, you need to have quality equipment in good condition, with a cooling machine and an experienced operator who understands the concrete cutting procedure. 

The task of concrete cutting is straightforward, and the machines used are getting easier due to the advancement in technology. But emphasis should be placed more on the operator because even though you have a good machine, without an operator that understands the hazard and risk involved, the whole work may end in futility. This means that you will need someone who understands the machine and knows all the safety rules. This article has discussed some essential tips you should know about your safety while using the concrete cutting machine.