Safety Measures While Using Concrete Mixer At a Construction Site

Construction day-to-day is not complete without the ease and convenience of mixing concrete offered through reliable concrete mixers. It helps save time and accelerates the construction process, offering top-of-the-line class mobility and ease of use while at the same time. It is possible that you would like to learn more about concrete mixers and how they can be safely used on construction sites. We’ll look into it here.

A concrete mixer is a machine that is used to homogenize the mixing of the ingredients of gravel, sand, or cement and water to create concrete. Today, concrete professionals require a type of concrete that requires less time to mix the concrete components. Concrete mixers blend concrete components quickly opposed to traditional manual mixing methods.

A concrete mixer makes use of a drum that rotates to mix concrete elements. Portable concrete mixers are employed when a smaller amount of concrete is required for construction and can be carried out at the construction site with ease. Concrete mixers aid in ensuring uniform thickness of the mix and let the concrete mix out without affecting the quality of the concrete.

Generally, concrete is used to construct the framed structure in which concrete mixers play a crucial role for small-scale jobs. Machinery that is not protected during the production of concrete could cause injuries to workers.

Concrete mixers are powered by electric motors or diesel engines, based on the area or the kind of structure in the construction process. Different kinds of concrete mixers are on the market. Concrete mixers can be tilting or non-tilting.

Safety Tips when using Concrete Mixer on a Construction Site

However, one should be cautious when using any machine for construction, it is important to adhere to certain guidelines when a concrete mixer is employed for construction.

• Test the mixer thoroughly by operating it through empty before applying. Check frequently the bolts or nuts that are loose from the concrete mixer. Also, make sure they’re secured extremely well.
• After the concrete is set, workers put their tools such as trowels, and so on. Into the drum of the concrete mixer. Be sure that all tools and equipment are removed from the mortar or concrete mixer before turning it on the next time.
• Operators or workers must protect their hands, clothes, and other tools from the moving parts of the concrete mixer.
• Don’t leave the mixer running unattended. Make sure the concrete mixer is in good working order, as damaged or damaged components of the machine could cause accidents.
• Do not overload the mixer to make concrete in less time. It may cause damage to the mixer.
• For mixers that are electrically powered, the wire that connects the mixers must be sound and in good condition, and the circuit breaker needs to be kept in good working order. The earthing of the electric motor must be performed according to the regulations and specifications and according to the directions of the engineer in charge.
• If the concrete mixer is powered by a diesel engine, if gas emissions (smoke) from the diesel engine are inhaled for a long time, the risk of developing diseases increases. Thus, the smoke needs to be ejected from the concrete workers.
• No one should be allowed to be near the mixer’s hopper. The entire machinery and all moving parts of the concrete mix must be secured.
• Connect the power to the mixer or turn the motor off from the mixer before servicing, adjusting, or installing attachments or accessories.
• The most frequent accidents happen when cleaning the mixing drums. Be sure to put up a notice that reads “Under Repairs” while cleaning the drum.
• Wire ropes that drive the clutches and drums need to be regularly inspected.
• Don’t move the cement mixer during the operation. The mixer could tip, or the motor could be damaged.
• If the concrete mixer is powered by electricity, you must examine the direction of the drum/cylinder’s rotation concerning the arrows that are on the drum or cylinder. Sometimes the direction of the rotation or the interval between rotations is altered because of wrong connections of the cable to the motor, which can cause the concrete to mix poorly and result in poor concrete.
• Make sure the area is clean and dry to avoid falling and slipping.
• Always ensure that tools and electrical outlets are properly grounded and properly lit for the task at hand, whether it is for moving or rotating components.
• Don’t allow children to play with or near the mixer. It could result in injuries.
• Switch off the motors while waiting for moving components to stop before performing any maintenance, cleaning, or servicing.

Final Words:

In all, approximately 10% (28,000) had one or other type of occupational injury or illness, and 42 died in only one year.

Concrete mixers and other construction machinery have always been potential accident vehicles. A body part could be stuck between the rotating drum and axles on the machine. Electricity can be dangerous at times. It is therefore essential to adhere to the guidelines above when carrying out concrete mixing tasks using a portable concrete mixer.