New HSE information sheet on the safe use of cement

HSE Press Release E225:02 - 4 December 2002

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has today published revised guidance on the safe use of cement in the construction industry.

Cement - Construction Information Sheet No 26 (revision 2) gives advice on the risks from cement and how to control them. The new HSE information sheet is aimed at anyone working with or supervising the use of cement in construction.

Mike Cosman, head of the HSE's Construction Sector, said:

"Although the law requires welfare facilities, such as toilets and running hot water, on construction sites, many sites overlook this. Hot water is essential for anyone who could come into contact with wet cement. If not washed off quickly and thoroughly, it can lead to severe burns and allergic dermatitis, both of which can be severely disabling."

About 450 construction workers a year develop allergic dermatitis and about 1 in 10 bricklayers leave the industry after developing it. Once developed, an allergy to cement is permanent.

The new HSE information sheet includes advice on simple preventative steps that can be taken, including:

• Keep cement off your skin. Employers should provide personal protective equipment and workers should use it;
• If it does get on your skin, wash it off quickly and thoroughly;
• If you get any skin reddening or irritation, seek medical advice; and
• Employers should provide regular health surveillance, which tries to detect any problems early enough to treat them.

"I urge everyone working with cement in the construction industry to get a copy of this free information sheet and ensure the safe use of this potentially hazardous building material,"

said Mike Cosman.

This Information Sheet replaces an earlier edition that is now out of print. It supports the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996.

Notes to editors

1. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002 replace earlier regulations that have been in force since January 1995. These regulations require the employer to prevent, or if that is not reasonably practicable, reduce exposure to hazardous substances.

2. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 regulations require employers to assess risks to health and safety.

3. The Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 apply to construction work and lay down standards including on the provision of welfare facilities.

4. Cement's abrasive properties compound its corrosive nature. This can cause injury when cement-containing materials touch or rub against the skin, or when cement dust is inhaled. In addition, cement can also cause allergic dermatitis which can lead to the individual becoming irreversibly sensitised.

Single copies of Cement - Construction Information Sheet No 26 rev. are available from HSE Books.

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