COSHH Assessment for Cement and Concrete: A Practical Guide for UK Tradespeople
Cement and concrete are among the most common materials on UK construction sites, and among the most hazardous if handled without proper controls. A COSHH assessment for cement and concrete is a legal requirement under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) whenever workers may be exposed to the substances these materials release — and that covers almost every trade that mixes, cuts, grinds, or breaks concrete.
Why Cement and Concrete Warrant a COSHH Assessment
Cement is classified as a hazardous substance for two separate reasons:
- Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI) — a sensitising chemical present in most Portland cement that causes allergic contact dermatitis and, with repeated exposure, chrome ulcers. EU and UK regulations now require cement sold for construction use to contain a reducing agent (ferrous sulphate) to keep soluble Cr VI below 2 mg/kg, but the protection relies on the cement being fresh and stored correctly.
- Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) — concrete contains aggregate, and cutting, grinding, drilling, or breaking it generates fine silica dust. Prolonged inhalation causes silicosis (irreversible and potentially fatal), lung cancer, and COPD. The Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) for RCS is 0.1 mg/m³ as an 8-hour TWA — a very low figure that is easily exceeded without controls.
Wet cement is also strongly alkaline (pH 12–13), causing chemical burns to skin and eyes on contact.
What Your COSHH Assessment Must Cover
Under COSHH 2002, before work begins you must assess the risk from each substance, then introduce adequate controls. For cement and concrete this means working through the following:
1. Identify the substances and hazardous forms
- Bagged or bulk cement powder (Cr VI + inhalation risk during mixing)
- Wet concrete/mortar (alkaline burn + Cr VI dermatitis)
- Hardened concrete being cut, drilled, ground, or broken (RCS)
- Admixtures — check each product's Safety Data Sheet (SDS); some contain additional hazardous chemicals
2. Assess who is exposed and how
Consider bricklayers, concreters, groundworkers, plasterers, and anyone in the immediate vicinity. Think about:
- How long the task takes (duration of exposure)
- How often it is done
- Likely airborne dust levels (cutting with an angle grinder without extraction can exceed the WEL within minutes)
3. Apply the hierarchy of control
| Priority | Control | Example for cement/concrete |
|---|---|---|
| Eliminate | Remove the hazard entirely | Pre-cast off-site instead of on-site mixing |
| Substitute | Less hazardous alternative | Ready-mix concrete reduces dry cement handling |
| Engineering | Physical controls | On-tool extraction (H-class vacuum), wet-cutting |
| Administrative | Work practices | Job rotation, restrict access to dust zones |
| PPE | Last resort | Gloves, RPE, eye protection |
Do not jump straight to PPE. The HSE expects engineering controls to be in place before PPE is considered.
4. Cutting, grinding and breaking hardened concrete — dust control
This is where RCS exposure is highest. The control hierarchy in practice:
- Wet cutting suppresses dust at source — use a water suppression attachment where feasible.
- On-tool extraction with an H-class or M-class vacuum (for RCS, H-class is strongly recommended). Check the vacuum's filter is rated for fine silica and that the hose connection actually seals to the tool shroud.
- RPE selection — if engineering controls do not reliably keep exposure below the WEL, a tight-fitting half-mask with a P3 filter (minimum FFP3 disposable) is required. RPE must be face-fit tested on each individual wearer (qualitative or quantitative testing — not just "it feels OK").
- Restrict other workers from the cutting zone; erect screens where practicable.
5. Skin and eye protection for wet cement
- Waterproof, Cr VI–resistant gloves (nitrile or PVC, not ordinary latex) — check the glove manufacturer's breakthrough time for alkaline solutions.
- Barrier cream is a supplement, not a substitute for gloves.
- Safety glasses or goggles when there is a splash risk.
- If cement contacts skin, wash with clean water immediately; do not use solvents.
Health Surveillance
COSHH requires health surveillance where there is a reasonable likelihood of an identifiable disease occurring. For cement and concrete work this typically means:
- Skin surveillance — periodic checks for early-stage dermatitis, particularly for workers mixing or regularly handling wet cement.
- Respiratory surveillance — where significant RCS exposure cannot be excluded, lung function monitoring should be considered. Your occupational health provider can advise on a suitable programme.
Records must be kept for at least 40 years for substances that cause long-latency disease such as silicosis.
Document Your Assessment
Your COSHH assessment should be written down (required whenever you employ five or more people, and good practice regardless). Record:
- The substances involved and their hazard classification
- Who is exposed and for how long
- The controls you have selected and why
- Arrangements for PPE maintenance and RPE face-fit testing
- Health surveillance arrangements
- A review date — reassess if the task changes, new products are introduced, or a worker reports symptoms
Where cement and concrete work forms part of a larger construction project, your COSHH assessment is normally incorporated into your RAMS (Risk Assessment and Method Statement) for the relevant task, submitted under CDM 2015 arrangements if applicable.
Key Takeaway
The two headline risks — silica dust from cutting and chromate dermatitis from wet cement — are both entirely preventable with the right controls applied in the right order. A COSHH assessment for cement and concrete is not a box-ticking exercise; it is the documented thinking that ensures workers go home without damaged lungs or chronic skin conditions.