Important Safety Measures To Follow When Concrete Cutting
Are you planning a concrete-cutting job? Would you like to ensure the safety of everyone involved? Concrete cutting can be a dangerous endeavour. However, with the right planning, equipment and safety practices, you can execute a flawless job, while minimising the risk of accidents.
To help you work safely on your next concrete cutting job, here’s a comprehensive guide on some of the main safety measures to follow when cutting concrete.
Get The Right Protective Gear
It is essential to have the right safety gear when cutting concrete. As mentioned above, concrete cutting can be quite dangerous. As such, it is important that you wear the necessary safety gear including steel-toed work boots, earplugs, gloves, hard hats and safety goggles.
Anyone planning on cutting concrete must also wear a highly effective dust mask. This is mainly due to the fact that concrete cutting produces a lot of harmful dust that can lead to serious health conditions if it makes its way into your lungs.
Get The Right Concrete Cutting Tools
The type and condition of concrete cutting equipment you are using can significantly affect the level of safety of your concrete cutting project and worksite. Instead of trying to cut corners, and choosing poorly suited tools for the job, make an effort to ensure that you only choose what the job requires and nothing less. Using the wrong saw can put you and your entire team at risk, and even lead to severe injuries.
Know Where To Cut
Take the time to accurately pinpoint where you need to cut. It is recommended that you use chalk to mark the line along which you want to cut for safety and accuracy purposes.
Since the layout of utilities may have changed over the years, especially when it comes to buildings that have had previous work done, it is recommended that you switch off all utilities – like electricity and gas among others – before you start cutting concrete. Be sure to follow this safety measure for all projects, regardless of whether you have the original building plans or not.
Failure to do so may put you at risk of being electrocuted or causing an electrical or gas fire that can lead to fatal injuries.
Cut Safely
Before you start cutting concrete, take a few moments to inspect the machine. Do not use the machine if you spot any issues. Furthermore, be sure to mark any machine that appears to be problematic, before or during cutting, to make sure that others know it is not in good working order. You should also allow the saw to warm up, at half speed before cranking it up to full speed for use.
When cutting concrete, be sure to cut in a straight line, and never go deeper than the job requires. As a rule of thumb, the cuts you make should not go any deeper than half the total depth of the concrete slab.
Final Thoughts
Concrete cutting can be a risky job. However, there are many safety measures you can take to make the job safer. That is why it is highly recommended to use an experienced professional for any concrete cutting project that you might be planning.
If you are looking for a concrete cutting company that is trustworthy and reliable, then don’t go past Sydney Sawing & Drilling. Please call us today on (02) 9158 6101 or leave an enquiry.
