Safety Practices for Concrete Block Wall Installation

Materials Handling and Delivery Safety

• Back injury is among the common injuries that occur during concrete block construction. Repeatedly lifting, carrying and hoisting concrete blocks leads to both acute back injury and chronic back pain. Whenever possible, builders use machinery or lifting tools to deliver and transport blocks. For example, if you receive bulk delivery to a job site, ask the truck driver to deposit the load as close to the installation location as possible. Additionally, workers should always observe safe lifting techniques when moving blocks. Although many workers consider single blocks lightweight, repeatedly lifting single blocks can lead to back injury.

Protective Gear

• Concrete blocks are abrasive and occasionally sharp. Gloves and long-sleeved shirts and long pants protect workers from cuts and scrapes. When cutting concrete blocks, workers should wear respiratory and eye protection. Concrete blocks release hazardous silica dust during cutting and grinding procedures. The immediate effects of silica exposure include eye, nose, throat and skin irritation. Prolonged and frequent exposure to silica dust leads to lung disease. Additionally, chips of concrete regularly fly during cutting and grinding; safety goggles protect workers from severe eye injuries.

Safety During Installation

• Block masons must take special precautions while building block walls, particularly during the upper courses of block. To safely work above kneeling or standing heights, masons must erect appropriate scaffolding and use lifting equipment to hoist blocks. Notably, poorly braced scaffolding threatens to tip or fall and can cause serious injury or death. Although appropriate for inspection and light finish work, ladders are unsuitable for transporting and laying block.

Protection from Rebar

• Builders include reinforcing steel bars, called "rebar," to strengthen most block structures. Rebar runs both horizontally and vertically through a block wall's interior cavity. During construction, rebar protrudes from the top of partially finished walls. Occasionally sharp, the exposed ends of rebar threaten to cut or impale workers. Therefore, building authorities require masons to cover exposed rebar with protective caps or wooden planks. Brightly colored and blunt, rebar caps top individual pieces of rebar. Alternatively, masons use specially designed brackets to mount planks over rows of rebar.