Why are concrete/cement/plaster products in the eye such an emergency?
Most cement, lime, mortar, concrete, and plaster products are hazardous substances that contain strong alkalis.
As seen in the image above, alkalis are on the opposite end of the PH scale from acids, however, can be equally as dangerous, being extremely destructive to your eyes. The way you handle the first seconds, minutes, and hours after you get the dry powder or wet mix in your eyes, will determine the outcome.
Alkalis may start their damaging work in your eye without much pain or symptoms, but over time the damage gets worse. So beware, follow the first aid steps below even if you don’t feel pain.
Don’t become one of the statistics: in 2019 – 2020 there were 197 injury claims resulting from chemical or other substances to the eye.
What is the First Aid treatment if I get concrete/cement products in my eye?
Every second counts! Run to the closest tap, eye wash station or water bottle and start flushing your eye. You are aiming to dilute the alkali to lessen the damage.
Wash your face and hands, you don’t want to get more cement product in your eyes. Flush your eye with a steady stream of running water. Let it pour into your eye while lifting both eyelids to rinse out all the cement granules underneath. Do not reuse the water and do not let contaminated water run into the unaffected eye.
- Do not rub your eye.
- Remove contact lenses as soon as possible.
- Continue flushing while you or someone else calls 000, or the Poisons Information Centre on 131 126 for instructions. Have your concrete/cement/plaster Safety Data Sheet handy, as the medical services will base their instructions on the product information in the SDS (for instance, the higher the pH of the product, the longer you need to flush the eye).
- You must see a doctor urgently when an alkali has entered your eye. Continue flushing the eye en route to the medical centre. The doctor will continue flushing your eye until its pH is back to normal. Take the SDS along with you.
What will happen if I do not flush my eye, or stop too early?
If you do not flush your eye, or stop before you are told to do so, you may suffer from permanent eye damage, dry eyes, vision loss and more.
How can I protect my eyes?
- Training: everyone on-site should know about the risk, prevention, and First Aid treatment of cement/concrete/plaster products in the eye.
- Do not touch your eyes when working with chemicals
- Wear strong gloves whilst handling material. Remove gloves and wash hands prior to eating
- Nitrile or chemical-resistant gloves are best
- Wear sealed safety goggles to protect against dry cement/concrete/plaster dust, for instance when mixing, and when the risk of wet splashing is high.
- Wear safety glasses when the risk of wet splashing is low.
- Have an eye rinse station at hand and know the location of the nearest tap.
You can create a Hazardous Substances Register using the template available in your HazardCo hub. You can attach the SDS’s to the register and share it with your team.
If you have an incident where someone gets cement/concrete in their eye, remember to report this as an incident in the HazardCo App. This will automatically be added to your incident register in the HazardCo Hub, and the Advisory team will be in touch with you to discuss next steps if it is deemed to be notifiable.
For questions or support, contact the friendly advisory team at HazardCo on 1800 954 702 or info@hazardco.com.
Timber frame standing and truss erection can be back-breaking work! It is often high risk work with some serious potential injuries. We recommend these three steps are completed prior to every install. Ensure that everyone understands the process and their role, from when frames and trusses arrive on-site all the way through to standing.
Here are 3 recommendations to ensure that your site is safer during the arrival and installation of frames and trusses.
1) Risk Assessment and Safe Work Method Statement
The development of Risk Assessments and SWMS are crucial to your workers to ensure their safety throughout the build. To make these processes easy, you can complete these on the HazardCo App.
Some things to think about when creating a Risk Assessment and SWMS for frame and truss delivery and erection are:
Is the work area secure?
Clients, visitors, and members of the public cannot enter the area and workers are aware that they should only enter if they are required for the tasks.
Have all site inductions been carried out and an emergency plan developed for any at height work?
Have all workers who work at height been trained to do so? Is access to height suitable and is fall protection in place?
Have all workers been provided with the correct PPE? Are all tools and equipment available and in suitable working order for the task?
The purpose of a SWMS is to go into detail for each of the tasks to be carried out. Thinking about the hazards at each step and how they can be appropriately controlled.
You should think about:
- The delivery of frames and trusses
- Frame standing
- Truss setting
Prior to work starting, workers should be involved in developing a SWMS. Consulting workers is important so they understand the detail of the SWMS and what they are required to do to implement and maintain risk controls. Sharing information and using the knowledge and experience of workers will help make sure the work is performed safely and in line with the SWMS.
On paper, this sounds like a lot of work – but it is made simple by using the HazardCo App, and using SWMS templates that you can save as templates and amend again and again. You’re not having to start from the beginning for tasks that you complete regularly. Do remember to check over your templates before approving them as different sites can present different hazards that you don’t want to miss, (overhead power lines as an example).
2) Working safely at height
When working at height, either on a second story or setting trusses you need to ensure that your workers are safe, not just from falling, but from tools, equipment, or materials falling too.
Scaffolding
Once the lower level frames have been stood/braced appropriately, safe working platforms should be installed such as scaffolding. Scaffolding over 4m must be erected by a licensed scaffolder and all scaffolding should be checked by a competent person regularly.
Edge protection
If the potential of a fall cannot be eliminated when working on a roof, some form of edge protection should be used to isolate workers from a fall. This includes working on single-story buildings and structures. Using the existing scaffolding as edge protection is often the simplest solution. If this is not practicable, then elevating work platforms or temporary work platforms should be used. Toe boards should be fixed to temporary edge protection as a way of containing all materials, including debris and loose tools.
3) Traffic Management Plan
Worksite traffic can be a major cause of harm on work sites. When it’s close to having your frames and trusses delivered to site and you’re considering dates with the delivery company, it is essential to communicate the traffic management plan with them. This provides the company and drivers involved with a clear picture of how the site has been structured and can assist the delivery company in selecting the correct sized vehicle for the delivery, taking into account the site size and structure.
Ensuring that you implement the above can prevent many injuries on site, as well as regular toolboxes, making plans for ‘what if’ situations (rescue plans) and discussing these with your workers to keep them alert so they’ll know what to do if an incident occurs on-site.
For some useful information on the safe installation of roof trusses and framing please view these resources:
WorkSafe Victoria: Safe erection of roof trusses
WorkSafe Victoria: Preparing to erect timber wall frames
SafeWork Australia Managing the risks of falls in housing construction
We’ve heard all sorts of myths and misconceptions when it comes to health and safety. We’re here to debunk some of the more common ones we hear.
H&S admin takes too long on site, it slows us down.
Back in the day we’d agree with you on this one, however times have changed. With the HazardCo system you can complete your health and safety quickly and easily.
Did you know our members reduced health and safety admin time by 50% when they switched from paper systems? Our easy to use app will guide you through what needs to be done to ensure you’re on top of your health and safety.
I’m not going to have an incident on site, I’ve been doing this for years and I’m not silly.
Even if you haven’t had an incident on-site for a long time, it doesn’t mean you never will. In fact, the more often you’re exposed to a risk, the less your brain perceives the significance of the risk, although the level of risk has not changed.
Project sites are constantly changing which could mean new hazards come up as the build progresses. It’s important to regularly review your health and safety measures on-site and continually make changes where necessary.
HazardCo helps you to stay on top of your health and safety at all times. Learn about the common incidents on-site and how to reduce the risk.
I don’t need to worry about health and safety because I’m a small builder, the Regulators have bigger fish to fry.
The role of WorkSafe and SafeWork is to reduce workplace harm. Stats show there continues to be a large number of incidents happening on residential building sites, which is why it continues to be a focus of WorkSafe and SafeWork. WorkSafe and SafeWork often issue safety alerts on recent issues and focus areas, such as height related incidents on resi sites.
It’s important to focus on health and safety not just because of the regulators, but because it can keep your workers and other people safe on-site.
Staying on top of your health and safety can mean:
- Getting everyone home safe at the end of every day
- A happier and healthier workplace
- Less incidents, which means less worker injury claims, costs to your business and less downtime investigating and resolving HS issues
It’s fine for me to use the same safety plan on all my sites because the houses I build are really similar.
A WHS Management Plan / Health and Safety Coordination plan must be specific to the site.
Sure, some key hazards and risks will be the same across projects, therefore certain content may remain the same from project to project however it’s essential that a site specific plan is reviewed and amended for each project.
It’s up to the contractors and subbies on site to make sure they are safe, it’s not up to me as the building company.
Construction work requires many businesses to be involved in the same task or activity (for example suppliers, contractors, and building owners).
There may be multiple people or businesses that are responsible for the duty of care to workers and others on-site. Therefore, more than one person can have the same duty. When it comes to sharing certain duties, everyone is responsible.
If you’re a Principal Contractor, you also have additional health and safety obligations relating to the project site. Find out more about sharing health and safety duties in construction.
I don’t need to report or investigate near misses, as nothing happened.
Near misses should be considered the same as an incident. But often they aren’t. We often find that near misses are very rarely reported, and actually brushed off.
Near misses are just as dangerous as actual incidents. If you’ve had a near miss, you might have got lucky but someone else might not. Treat near misses as a free learning tool to review your processes and the controls in place to prevent more serious incidents from occurring.
No matter how big or small, report all near misses and incidents so you can all learn from them.
Don’t take near misses lightly. Report the incident as soon as it happens with the HazardCo App. Read more about the importance of reporting and recording near misses
I don’t need to worry about managing ‘Health’ when it comes to Health and Safety on-site.
Health can often be overlooked in the construction industry, but it’s a big contributor to time off work and workers compensation costs across Australia. Both physical and mental health risks can significantly impact the health of your workers and negatively impact your business if not taken seriously.
Get the best from your team and work safer and healthier. Find out more about the importance of looking after you and your worker’s physical and mental health.
When it comes to incidents, a common misconception is that you need to report incidents to HazardCo immediately. This is not the case. Reporting to HazardCo can often happen later once details of the incident have been established. The only time an incident should be reported immediately is when it falls under the criteria of being a notifiable incident, which means it needs to be reported to the Regulator (WorkSafe/SafeWork).
The HazardCo Safety Advisory team assesses all incidents that get reported via the ‘Report an Incident’ function on the HazardCo App. If the incident is notifiable to the Regulator, we will contact you to provide support, determine further details and ensure that the appropriate steps have been taken.
Reporting an incident on the HazardCo App
- Go to ‘Report an Incident’ on the HazardCo App to create a new record
- Select the site location where the incident occurred
- Select the date that the incident occurred on
- List the people that were involved in the incident
- Select the type of incident (near miss, injury, illness, other, incident)
- Select the treatment received (first aid, medical centre, hospital, unsure, none)
- Describe what happened: This is where you enter initial information about the incident. List the facts that are known so far. Such as :
- what job or activity was being performed at the time.
- What plant, equipment or tools were being used
- What went wrong
- What was the injury or damage (or the potential)
- What happened immediately after the incident
Below is an example of an incident report that could be improved upon and what good reporting looks like.
Initial incident report Description
Geoff hurt his leg.
What’s wrong with it?
This tells us nothing about Geoff’s injury, how he is or how it happened.
What does good reporting look like
Geoff hurt his leg whilst carrying timber planks around the site by himself. The load he was carrying was awkward and there were star pickets uncapped near where he was walking. Geoff scraped his leg on one of the uncapped start pickets and dropped the timber. He suffered a graze to the back of his right leg. Geoff was checked over by Bob, a first aider. The grace was cleaned and a band-aid was applied to his graze. Geoff rested for a few minutes and was able to return to work.
What’s good about it?
See how good reporting tells us everything that we need to know about the incident, only includes the facts, and can still be done in a quick and easy way. The summary provided key information such as:
- What Geoff was doing prior/during the incident
- What went wrong
- What injury was sustained
- What occured after the incident and if applicable, what the treatment was
Need Help?
Reach out to HazardCo and speak to one of our expert Health and Safety Advisors if you have any questions or need support for incidents or near misses on your site. You can contact us on 1800 954 702.
To put it simply, health and safety regulators (WorkSafe / SafeWork) work with you and your workers to keep you safe and healthy. Their main goal is to ensure that across Australia, businesses are safe and healthy environments. It’s important to know that not all visits are pre-arranged and inspectors are allowed to show up at any reasonable time, regardless of whether or not you’re there. So, what should you expect when they come a-knocking?
What does a site visit look like?
Typically a visit from WorkSafe/SafeWork follows the below process:
Step 1: Conversation
A friendly chat isn’t that scary, right? When the WorkSafe/SafeWork inspector first arrives, they’ll have a conversation. This discussion is a two-way street where they’ll be looking to learn about your business, what risks you’ve identified, the actions you’re completing to minimise them and answer any questions you may have. Ensure you use this opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification if anything doesn’t make sense.
Step 2: Observation
Following the chat, the inspector will usually take a walk around your worksite to have a look around. Sometimes its a general walk around, other times it may be focusing on a particular area or activity.
If the inspector sees anything concerning during the walkabout, they will discuss this with you further.
Step 3: Processes and Documentation
At this stage, the inspector might ask to see what kind of processes and safe practices you have. This could include anything from your risk assessments, worker’s licenses or training certificates, machine maintenance logs, to incident reports. The focus will be on whether your processes and records demonstrate good health and safety practices for your worksite, workers and business.
So what are inspectors allowed to do during the visit?
Inspectors have the right to:
- ask you, your employees or other people questions
- take photographs, recordings and measurements
- ask to see your documents, make copies or take the documents
- take items away with them for examination, testing or for use as evidence
What happens if an issue is found?
If the inspector does find an issue, you and the inspector will discuss what needs to be done to fix it. The three main outcomes issued by the inspector are an improvement notice, prohibition notice, or an infringement notice.
- Improvement notices – The most common type of notice which directs a person to address an identified health and safety risk in a specified time. The inspector will explain what was identified, how things need to change, and the timeframe in which it needs to be completed.
- Prohibition notices – Directs the business to stop doing a particular thing that involves a serious risk to health or safety. For example, stopping a specific activity or instructing you to stop using a dangerous piece of machinery. The notice will tell you what needs to be fixed.
- An infringement notice – This notice, or fine, is a penalty for breaking the law. Depending on your state or territory it can include an on-the-spot fine for breaching certain health and safety laws and may lead to prosecution.
Using HazardCo can cut the time you spend on health and safety admin in half and can guide you through what you need to do to keep your workers and your business safe.
Of course, if there are any questions or concerns, just call us at HazardCo for help on 1800 954 702.
We know chatting to your team about health and safety isn’t the most exciting topic, however it is the most important! Health and safety is the responsibility of everyone on-site, so it’s important to get your team and subbies involved. Thankfully it’s easy to get started, simply scan in/out of site every day.
As the main builder on-site, one of the timesaving HazardCo tools at your fingertips is the site-specific QR code located on your HazardCo Hazard Board. Getting everyone to scan in and out every day benefits you because:
- Even if you’re not on-site you still know who is – and it’s all saved in your HazardCo Hub so you can check the site history whenever you need to.
- Anyone scanning in for the first time can complete a site induction where the worker is made aware of important site specific information such as emergency contacts and site safety rules.
- Gives workers quick and easy access to the Site Specific Safety Plan (SSSP) which covers important information around some key things like:
- health and safety roles and responsibilities
- Key hazards and control measures onsite
- Incident and emergency management
- On Project Plus sites, HazardCo’s Digital Site Noticeboard feature enables workers scanning in the ability to view site specific notices on their HazardCo App, where you can communicate any hazards or risks that may be present on-site.
- Simply scanning in gives people an important daily reminder to be aware of health and safety – and we all know the more we think and talk about safety , the more we look out for hazards and ways to control the risks on-site.
- Getting everyone’s participation shares the health and safety responsibility with everyone on-site.
If previously you’ve had subbies or team members who don’t use the QR code to scan in/out daily, here are a few ideas to get them using the QR code regularly:
- Use your next Toolbox Meeting to walk everyone through the process of scanning in and out using the QR code on your Hazard Boards, making sure the team has the HazardCo App downloaded and set up.
- If you need to use some incentive, you could shout the team pizza and a cold beverage on Friday afternoon if everyone scans in and out every day that week… it gets the team working together to remind each other.
- You could make it part of your contract with any new subbies, and add it to the employment agreement you have with your own team. Or, go a step further and require subbies to be HazardCo members in order to win contracts on your projects.
There are lots of good reasons to get everyone scanning that QR code so get your team on board with it today.
The Toolbox Meeting feature on the HazardCo App means you’ll no longer have to carry around paperwork for your meetings. Our app makes it easy for you to keep energy levels high and hold everyone’s attention with short and focused talks. With the HazardCo App running on your smartphone, you can easily move the meeting to the most relevant place on-site. One man band? No worries, you can use the toolbox feature to capture conversations when you talk to other subbies on-site.
On the HazardCo App, the Toolbox Meeting feature guides you through a team chat with an easy to follow guide that helps you cover all the necessary points and capture key details as you go. It means you don’t need to do any special preparation for your toolbox meeting, just make the time, follow the app, and you’ll get a completed report on the Hub at the end which you can download or email to others. Plus, save yourself some time by using your voice to text feature on your phone which comes as part of most Android and iPhone devices, look for the microphone icon on the keyboard pop up. You can also record attendees with a photo.
Using HazardCo Toolbox Meetings gives you another easy way to keep the team involved too – simply get someone different to run the meeting each week. It keeps everyone thinking more about health and safety, and it shares the admin around. And did you know that the Toolbox Meeting feature isn’t just for toolboxes, you can also use it to conduct safety meetings, pre-start meetings, and committee meetings.
Toolbox Meetings are a vital component of keeping your site safe, and with HazardCo in the palm of your hand, you have all the tools you need for great toolbox meetings with your wider crew.
Using machinery and equipment for work on-site puts workers in close contact with powerful and fast moving tools. This makes getting the job done easier and more efficient but it does also present some risks to workers health and safety. If a worker comes into contact with machinery or equipment in an unsafe way, it can cause significant harm or injury. It is common practice to use guarding on machinery and equipment to create a barrier between the workers and the moving parts that can cause harm or injury.
Common risks and Hazards
Machinery and equipment guarding is designed to eliminate or minimise the risk of workers being harmed while completing their work. It is important to assess the hazards and risks involved with all the machinery and equipment used in the workplace. If machinery and equipment is not guarded properly, workers can sustain significant injuries due to coming in contact with moving parts.
Some common injuries are:
- Cuts
- Burns
- Electric Shocks
- Degloving
- Amputations
Because there is potential for serious harm when using machinery and equipment, it is necessary to plan a safe approach when conducting a job. This will help identify the hazards of working with machinery and equipment.
The hazard management process includes:
- Identifying hazards
- Assessing the hazard – decide if the identified hazards are significant
- Assessing the risk – decide how likely and seriously a worker could be harmed
- Controlling the hazard – either by eliminating, isolating or minimising the hazard
- Regularly reviewing and monitoring the hazards and risks.
- Create safe working methods like Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
Choosing the right guarding
There are many different types of guards that can be used to protect workers from being harmed when using machinery and equipment. Here are some common types of guarding and examples of when they are used:
- Fixed – Screwed or fixed in place guarding to protect users from hazards. – E.g. grinders
- Self closing – the cutting edge only opens to the extent necessary to cut the workpiece E.g. drop saw
- Adjustable – Safety guarding that is movable. The guard is in place to protect the user but moves to allow the function of the tool. E.g. drop saws and skill saws
When choosing a guard, It is important to make sure the guard can actually prevent an operator from reaching into the dangerous parts of machinery and equipment. To make sure the operators are protected from the dangerous parts, the safest guarding must take into account an operator’s ability to reach into or come in contact with moving parts.
There are many different types of guards to choose from. It is important to choose guards that eliminate the potential for harm. If this is not possible, then guards should be chosen that isolate or minimise the risk to workers. It is very important that guarding is not removed or tampered with as this will increase the risk of harm to workers.
Control hierarchy
- Elimination involves removing the risk to health and safety from the work site. It is the most effective risk control and should always be prioritised.
- Minimisation is used when a risk cannot be eliminated. This is done using: substitution, isolation, engineering, administration and PPE.
Training/ Competency
Workers should be trained to competently complete the work they are required to do. Workers should be trained and educated on the purpose and function of the different types of guarding in the workplace. Make sure that workers have the appropriate training, supervision, and qualification (if required) to safely use the necessary machinery and equipment. Keep an up-to-date register of what machinery and equipment workers are trained on and competent in using.
If you have any questions about guarding machinery and equipment, give HazardCo a call on 1800 954 702.
Machinery and equipment are used every day on the worksite. Machinery and equipment are designed to make work easier, more efficient, and can generate great amounts of power and speed. This is really handy when there is a job to be done, but this also means there is a greater potential for harm and injury. When there is a potential for harm, especially in the workplace, it needs to be managed to prevent incidents or injuries. A great place to start is by identifying the hazards and risks involved with the machinery and equipment being used so that you can put controls in place to effectively manage them.
Hazards & Risks
Many pieces of machinery and equipment use force and motion to cut, bend, join or shape materials. This force and motion can harm workers in many different ways such as crushing, cutting, puncturing and burning.
It is good practice to identify the risks to workers’ safety. When machinery and equipment is identified as a hazard in the workplace, the next required step is to manage the hazard. Begin by assessing the risks that these hazards pose to workers. A risk assessment in relation to the machinery and equipment can be completed in the HazardCo app to record hazards and the controls put in place to manage these risks. Any machinery or equipment that is faulty or damaged should be tagged out and repaired.
It is also good practice to complete Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for your machinery and equipment. The SOP should document instructions on the safe operation and maintenance of and training for any machinery or equipment. Ensure that the SOP is created using the manufacturer’s instructions so that it is specific to the machinery and equipment used.
Pre-Start Checks
Machinery and equipment are often used in harsh working environments, and on a daily basis. These two factors mean that eventually machinery and equipment can become faulty, damaged or break down over-time. If and when this happens, it can pose a risk to the workers who are using or working closely to the machinery or equipment. It is good practice to manage these risks by doing daily pre-start checks before beginning work. This ensures that the machinery and equipment are inspected and are in good working order before beginning the works. These pre-start checks should be recorded and the records should be kept.
Training
Workers should be trained to competently complete the work they are required to do. This is especially important when using machinery and equipment as there is an increased potential for harm when it is not used correctly. Make sure that workers have the appropriate training, supervision and qualification (if required) to safely use the necessary machinery and equipment. Keep an up-to-date register of what machinery and equipment workers are trained on and competent in using.
If you need a hand with managing the hazards and risks involved with using machinery and equipment, give HazardCo a call on 1800 954 702
Hi-Vis is a form of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) designed to make workers more visible to others in order to minimise the risk of injury.
The Australian legislation has Hi-Vis standards around the criteria, types and when it is to be worn.
Every construction site must have:
- Hi-Vis policy or rules
- Guide on how to wear and fit correctly
- Training on its effectiveness and better options for risk control.
As a business owner, you must manage the risks associated with your workplace activities and in doing so follow a process to control those risks. If you cannot eliminate a risk, you must implement measures to reduce the level of risk, provide training to workers, and provide PPE – which includes hi-vis.
Protective clothing is one of many control measures used to mitigate risk, however, it is the ‘last line of defense’, and all other reasonably practicable control measures should be in place first before relying on protective clothing. It is up to the PCBU if hi-vis clothing is a control that will be implemented on-site. However, it should always be worn around moving vehicles, plant and machinery.
Types of Hi-Vis
There are many types of hi-vis clothing available in Australia, and it is important to understand the different types of hi-vis, what is appropriate for your workplace, and ensure that you supply hi-vis that meets the standards. The two hi-vis colours that meet the standard for daytime visibility are yellow and orange.
- Class D – (Daytime use) made from fluorescent or other high visibility materials, are designed for daytime use. They are intended only for use in workplaces where lighting levels are good, and no work is done outside of daylight hours.
- Class N – (Nighttime use) designed and only suitable for night use, with no background material specified. The reflective tape must meet certain measurements and configurations.
- Class D/N – (Day and nighttime use) These garments combine fluorescent or other high-visibility background materials with strips of reflective tape, making them suitable for day and night use, or for work areas where there are low light levels.
Maintaining Hi-Vis
It is important that the correct hi-vis is selected and used correctly. Your workers should know:
- When using hi-vis is required
- How to wear it correctly, and that the zippers/velcro need to be done up securely
- Be of a suitable fit and not interfere with normal movement
- Be compatible with any other PPE requirements
- Know when to request a replacement due to damage/wear and tear
Hi-vis should be maintained to ensure that it remains effective, over time the materials can fade which will affect the performance of the tape and fabric. It should be regularly checked for wear and tear, fading, and ensure that there are no additional fabrics, logos, or pockets impacting the functionality of the hi-vis in accordance with the standards AS/NZS 4602 and AS/NZS 1906.4.
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