Work environment safety and ergonomics — come home whole every day

Concrete layer is a physical trade. You lift, dig, cast and lay stone, often outdoors in all kinds of weather, and you work close to heavy machinery and deep excavations. It is a strong and rewarding craft, but it requires that you take care of yourself and your colleagues. Good safety and sensible ergonomics are not extras — they are part of the trade.

Some risks in the trade can have major consequences if something goes wrong. This is especially true of situations involving high energy or heavy items:

• 01Collapse in excavations if the soil is not properly braced
• 02Impact when working near traffic
• 03Clamping and falling accidents during crane and lifting work
• 04Fall from height at scaffold and element installation.
• 05Contact with cables and pipes in the ground

Therefore a large part of your education is focused on planning the work so dangerous situations never arise — and on having control of the securing before any digging or lifting is done.

Beyond the sudden accidents, there are injuries that build up over years: a bad back from incorrect lifting, worn knees from working on your knees, hearing damage from noise, and lungs affected by dust from concrete and stone. These injuries are insidious because they do not hurt from day one — but they can end a working life prematurely if you do not take them seriously early.

Good ergonomics is about letting your body work correctly and using technical aids rather than pure muscle power. It is the small habits that count, day after day:

• 01Lift with your legs, keep your back straight, and do not twist your body with a load in your hands
• 02Use technical aids — lifting equipment, vacuum lifters, wheelbarrows and machines — rather than dragging yourself
• 03Use knee pads and change position frequently when working low
• 04Share your concern with a colleague or manager quickly.

Personal protective equipment is your last line of defense. Helmet safety shoes hearing protection gloves and breathing protection are there for a reason. Especially dust from cutting and grinding concrete and stone is dangerous to pull into your lungs so here you use either dust-extracting tools water to bind the dust or breathing protection — often in combination.

Safety on a building site is something the whole crew lifts together. You watch out for your colleagues, say if something looks dangerous, and participate in the safety meetings and inspections that belong. A good workplace culture is one where it is quite natural to stop and do things right — even if it takes five extra minutes.

“The most important thing you take home from work is yourself — whole and healthy.”