COSHH Assessment for Cement Dust and Wet Concrete: UK Compliance Guide
Cement is one of the most common causes of occupational dermatitis in the UK construction industry. This guide covers writing a COSHH assessment for cement dust and wet concrete, including chromium VI exposure, skin protection, respiratory controls, and health surveillance requirements.
Why Cement Needs a COSHH Assessment
Cement is not just an irritant. It contains hexavalent chromium (Cr VI), a known carcinogen and skin sensitiser regulated under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. Any workplace that uses cement products must carry out a COSHH assessment before work begins.
The key hazards of cement include:
• Contains hexavalent chromium (Cr VI), a known carcinogen and skin sensitiser
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• Causes allergic contact dermatitis and cement burns on prolonged skin contact
• Wet cement is highly alkaline (pH 12-13) and causes chemical burns on exposed skin
• Over 40,000 construction workers in the UK develop occupational dermatitis each year, with cement being a leading cause (HSE statistics)
If your workers handle cement in any form, you are legally required to assess the risks and put controls in place.
Workplace Exposure Limits
The HSE publishes workplace exposure limits (WELs) in EH40. For cement and its components, the key limits are:
• Cement dust (inhalable fraction): 10 mg/m³ 8-hour TWA
• Cement dust (respirable fraction): 4 mg/m³ 8-hour TWA
• Chromium VI compounds: 0.01 mg/m³ 8-hour TWA (this is an extremely low limit, reflecting the serious health risk)
• Respirable crystalline silica (found in cement): 0.1 mg/m³ 8-hour TWA
Your COSHH assessment must reference these WELs and explain how your controls keep exposure below them. If air monitoring shows levels approaching the WEL, you need to increase controls immediately.
Writing the COSHH Assessment: Step by Step
A COSHH assessment for cement should follow a structured process. Here is how to work through each step.
Step 1: Identify the Substance
Be specific about which cement product is in use. Different products carry different risks. Common types include:
• Portland cement (OPC)
• Ready-mix concrete
• Mortar and grout
• Tile adhesive and cement-based renders
Obtain the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) from the manufacturer. Record the product name, supplier, GHS classifications, and any hazardous components listed.
Step 2: Determine Exposure Routes
Skin contact is the primary risk with cement. Wet concrete trapped against the skin (inside boots, under kneepads, or soaking through clothing) causes the most severe injuries. Inhalation of cement dust is the secondary risk, particularly during mixing, cutting, and sweeping. Your assessment should address both routes.
Step 3: Identify Who Is at Risk
List every role that may come into contact with cement products on your site. This typically includes:
• Bricklayers and blocklayers
• Plasterers and renderers
• Ground workers pouring foundations and slabs
• Anyone handling or mixing wet concrete, mortar, or grout
• Labourers sweeping or cleaning cement-contaminated areas
Do not forget workers in adjacent areas who may be exposed to airborne dust.
Step 4: Define Control Measures
Apply controls in order of the hierarchy of control, starting with the most effective:
Substitution: Use low-chromium cement where possible. EU Directive 2003/53/EC (adopted in the UK) requires cement to contain less than 2 ppm of soluble Cr VI. However, low-chromium cement still causes irritant contact dermatitis, so it is not a complete solution.
Engineering controls: Use pre-mixed materials to reduce dust generation. Set up enclosed or well-ventilated mixing areas. Use water suppression or local exhaust ventilation (LEV) when cutting cement products. Avoid dry sweeping; use a vacuum with an H-class filter instead.
PPE: Provide waterproof gloves (nitrile, not latex, as latex does not resist cement alkalinity). Apply barrier cream before handling cement, not after. Require long sleeves and trousers tucked into boots to prevent concrete entering footwear. Provide RPE (minimum FFP2) for any task that generates visible dust, such as mixing or cutting.
Hygiene measures: Wash exposed skin within 20 minutes of contact with cement. Provide clean water and soap at the work area, not just in the welfare facilities. Moisturise skin after washing to restore the skin barrier. Change contaminated clothing as soon as practicable.
Step 5: Health Surveillance
Under Regulation 11 of COSHH 2002, health surveillance is required for workers regularly exposed to cement. This should include:
• A baseline skin questionnaire before the worker starts cement-related tasks
• Skin checks by a trained responsible person every 3 to 6 months
• Referral to an occupational health professional if any signs of dermatitis are found (redness, cracking, itching, blistering)
• Records kept for at least 40 years (as Cr VI is a carcinogen)
Early detection is critical. Allergic contact dermatitis from chromium VI is permanent once sensitisation occurs. The worker will never be able to safely handle cement again.
Step 6: Emergency First Aid
Your COSHH assessment should include first aid procedures for cement burns:
• Remove contaminated clothing immediately
• Flush the affected skin with clean running water for at least 20 minutes
• Do not use solvents or abrasive cleaners on cement burns
• Seek medical attention if skin is blistered, broken, or if the burn covers a large area
• For eye exposure: irrigate with clean water for at least 20 minutes and seek immediate medical attention
Common Mistakes in Cement COSHH Assessments
These are the errors that auditors and HSE inspectors see most often:
• Focusing only on cement dust and ignoring wet concrete exposure entirely. Wet contact causes more dermatitis cases than dust inhalation.
• Not providing waterproof gloves, or providing the wrong type. Standard cotton or latex gloves do not protect against cement alkalinity. Nitrile or PVC gloves are required.
• Omitting chromium VI from the assessment. Even with low-chromium cement, trace amounts are present and must be documented.
• Not recording skin condition checks. Without documented health surveillance, you cannot demonstrate compliance with Regulation 11.
• Treating the COSHH assessment as a one-off document. It must be reviewed whenever the process, product, or workforce changes, and at least annually.
Generate Your COSHH Assessment Automatically
Writing a COSHH assessment from scratch takes time, especially when you need to look up WELs, GHS classifications, and substance-specific control measures. SwiftRMS generates COSHH assessments that include all of this automatically, pre-populated with the correct regulatory data for each substance you add.
Each generated assessment includes substance-specific WELs, GHS classifications, recommended PPE, control measures, and health surveillance requirements. You can edit, export to PDF, and share with your team. Try it free today.
Related Guides
• COSHH Regulations UK: The Complete Guide
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