Cement and mortar are so much a part of everyday building work that it's easy to forget they're hazardous. But wet cement is strongly alkaline and can seriously damage skin. Bricklayers, groundworkers, plasterers and general builders handle it every day.
So cement and mortar belong on your COSHH list. COSHH stands for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations. A COSHH assessment is a written look at a substance you use, the harm it can do and how you'll control it. Here's how to put one together for cement and mortar.
Why cement and mortar are hazardous
According to HSE's guidance on cement as a construction hazardous substance, cement-based products such as concrete and mortar can harm people in several ways:
- Chemical burns. Wet cement is highly alkaline. If it gets trapped against the skin, for example inside a boot or glove or under a kneeling knee, it can cause serious burns. These can develop without much pain at first, which is why people often don't notice until the damage is done.
- Irritant contact dermatitis. Cement is abrasive and drying, and repeated contact can leave skin red, cracked and sore.
- Allergic contact dermatitis. Cement contains hexavalent chromium (chromate), which can cause an allergy. Manufacturers add an ingredient to reduce it, but that only works for a limited time, which is why bags carry a shelf date. Once someone is sensitised, even small future contact can trigger a reaction, and some tradespeople have had to leave their trade as a result.
- Eye damage. Splashes of cement or mortar can cause chemical burns to the eyes.
- Breathing problems. Cement powder irritates the airways. Cutting, drilling or chasing dried concrete and mortar also creates dust that can contain silica, which can cause serious lung disease.
Step 1: Identify the tasks
Start by listing where cement-based products are used on your job. Typical tasks include:
- Mixing mortar or concrete from bagged cement
- Bricklaying and blockwork
- Pouring and finishing concrete
- Screeding floors
- Rendering
- Cutting, drilling or chasing hardened concrete, blocks or mortar joints
Think about who's involved: labourers doing the mixing are often most exposed. Check whether anyone already has skin problems or allergies, as cement work could make them worse.
Step 2: Check the safety data sheet
Your supplier or the manufacturer should provide a safety data sheet (SDS) for the cement products you buy. It sets out the hazards, hazard pictograms (for cement, usually the corrosion and exclamation mark symbols) and recommended precautions. Keep a copy with your COSHH assessment, or at least note where to find it.
Step 3: Reduce contact in the first place
Before reaching for gloves, look at whether you can cut down contact altogether. HSE suggests options such as:
- Using pre-mixed concrete or mortar to avoid handling cement powder
- Using longer-handled tools to increase the distance between the worker and the wet material
- Rotating stock so bags are used before their shelf date, while the chromate-reducing ingredient is still working
Step 4: Put the right controls in place
For the contact you can't avoid, your assessment should set out practical controls:
Gloves. Ordinary fabric or leather gloves don't protect against wet cement. They soak it up and hold it against the skin. Gloves should be waterproof and suitable for alkaline substances. HSE mentions some nitrile or PVC gloves may be suitable and points to gloves tested for "alkalis and bases". Long or close-fitting cuffs help stop cement getting inside.
Footwear. Wellington boots or similar for concrete pours, high enough that cement can't get in over the top. Trousers should go over the top of boots, not tucked in.
Knee protection. When kneeling on wet cement products, for example screeding, use waterproof trousers, waterproof knee pads or knee boards, and keep kneeling time to a minimum.
Eye protection. Goggles or safety glasses when mixing, pouring or doing anything that could splash.
Dust control. For mixing from dry powder, avoid creating clouds of dust and consider respiratory protection. For cutting or chasing hardened material, use on-tool extraction or water suppression and suitable masks. HSE's construction dust guidance (CIS36) covers this in more detail.
Washing facilities. This is one of the most important controls and often the most overlooked on small jobs. Workers need hot and cold or warm running water, soap and towels, with basins big enough to wash forearms. Cement should be washed off the skin as soon as possible, and hands washed at breaks and at the end of the day. Keep emergency eyewash on site.
Skin care. Moisturising after-work creams help restore the skin's natural oils and protective barrier.
Step 5: Tell your team
Controls only work if people use them. Make sure everyone knows:
- Why wet cement is dangerous, especially the risk of burns that don't hurt straight away
- Which gloves to use and how to take them off without contaminating their hands
- To wash cement off skin straight away
- The early signs of dermatitis: dryness, redness, itching, flaking or cracking
A short toolbox talk covers this nicely.
Step 6: Keep an eye on skin health
HSE's guidance says appropriate health surveillance is needed to check that controls are preventing dermatitis. For a small firm, this can be done by a trained "responsible person", who could be a team member. In practice, that means checking a new worker's skin when they start, carrying out regular skin checks after that, and keeping secure records. More background is in HSE's skin at work pages.
Step 7: Review it
Look at your COSHH assessment again if something changes: a new product, a new type of job, someone reporting a skin problem, or controls that clearly aren't being followed. Checking that gloves are worn and the welfare unit has hot water matters more than perfect wording.
What to record
Your written assessment should cover the product and where its safety data sheet is kept, the hazards, the tasks and people exposed, how exposure is reduced, controls and PPE, welfare and eyewash, training, health surveillance, and a date and review date. For more on the overall process, HSE's how to carry out a COSHH risk assessment is a good starting point.
Keeping your COSHH records organised
For most small builders, the hard part is keeping the paperwork organised and ready when someone asks for it.
With DutyDocs, you can record substances such as cement and mortar with their GHS hazard symbols and controls, all from your phone. You can keep them alongside your RAMS, record toolbox talks with attendees, log the PPE you've issued and export PDFs to share with clients and site managers. It also works offline on site.
Try it on your next job
If you'd like your COSHH records in one tidy place, give DutyDocs a go. Pro is £19.99 a month with a 7-day free trial, so you can set up your cement and mortar assessment and see if it suits you. Start your free Pro trial at DutyDocs.