Concrete Cutting: Environmental & Health Concerns

Concrete cutting is one of the important steps in the construction and renovation industry. It shapes modern landscapes and gives rise to solid structures that can live for many years.

While cutting is an essential process, it also emits a lot of dust and creates a mess that can harm the environment and human health. The workers who are constantly working in the cutting sector will face respiratory issues as they are continuously exposed to dust, silica and other minute particles.

You cannot stop the cutting process, however, you can take effective measures on how to deal with the mess and dust produced during the cutting process.

In this blog, we will discuss the risks and hazards, environmental effects and solutions to lessen the impact on human life.

Risks and hazards

• Push-back, kick-back, or pull-in: All these operations can make the machine difficult to manage and can cause potentially fatal injuries. If they are not handled properly, it can lead to either machinery damage or injuries to the operators.
• Not using the perfect blades: Worn, damaged saw blades can wobble and vibration causing them to shatter and have fragments fly off. It will also lead to improper cutting resulting in irregular shapes.
• Dust emission: Hazardous dust and toxic fumes can cause health complications. It pollutes the environment as the dust mixes with the surrounding air making it difficult to breathe.
• Disconnected cables: Electrical cables and cords can be a fire hazard or a tripping hazard. It will also lead to electrocution, slipping, and exposure to harmful gases, especially for those who are working in the premises.
• Noise pollution: Cutting is a loud process and produces high decibels of noise making the working environment hazardous.
• Vibration: While cutting, your arm and the whole body are vibrated. If this happens daily, there will be a risk of nerve, joint, and circulatory damage to the workers.

Environmental effects

The concrete dust is often washed away with water jets. Though it makes the area clean, the dust water pollutes the water when it is mixed in natural water bodies. The hazards include:

• Cement wash water and other cement-based products are strongly alkaline because of their high lime content. It disrupts the natural pH level of water bodies.
• Sediment loads can kill smatter created in the water.
• Sediment also reduces sunlight penetration which can affect both animals and plants.
• Chemicals in concrete can poison creatures that live in water.

Cement wash water is often harmful to water creatures and if resolution methods are not performed, then it can have a serious impact on water life animals and plants.

Solutions to limit dust produced during cutting:

• Use wet control methods: Instead of letting cement wash water into the drainage, water recycling methods can be adopted to minimise the environmental risk. During recycling, the water is separated and the dust left can be dealt with using proper disposal techniques.
• Dust extraction systems: To limit the dust produced, you can use dust control measures like wet cutting and using dust extraction systems. Also having proper ventilation in the cutting area will limit the presence of harmful particles existing in the air.
• PPE (Personal Protective Equipment): You have to provide the workers with protective equipment like masks, gloves, noise-cancelling headpieces, respiratory masks, eye protectors, ear protectors, etc. They are crucial in safeguarding their health and well-being, which in turn increases the productivity of the work.

Potential solutions

• By involving businesses in working with environmentally conscious companies will reduce the overall rate of concrete dust produced in the project field. These green companies will make use of proper disposal techniques that limit the harm produced to the environment and mankind.

You cannot avoid the concrete cutting process as it is one of the integral steps in the whole construction process. However, adopting the best usage techniques and properly disposing of the waste produced will have a beneficial impact on the environment. It will further enhance your brand’s name and you can attract more clientele who can trust the process used in your company.