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Personal Protective Equipment for the Concrete Industry
Concrete has been used since Roman times, but with the fall of Rome in 476 A.D., the methods of creating and using concrete were lost. It wasn’t until 1824 that Joseph Aspdin developed Portland Cement. From there, several types of concrete were formed to use for building, pouring, and finishing. Abolox carries the personal protective equipment (PPE) required to work in the concrete industry.
The Difference Between Concrete and Cement
Many people use the terms concrete and cement synonymously, though they are different. Cement is clay and limestone crushed into a powder. It’s an ingredient in concrete. Only about 10 to 15 percent of the concrete mix is cement. Other ingredients in concrete include chemical additives and aggregate – usually sand or gravel – and water.
Uses for Concrete
We use concrete for many things, including buildings, roads, bridges, patios, garages and more. Some of the uses for concrete include:
- Basements
- Boat launches
- Curbsv
- Dams
- Driveways
- Fireplaces
- Floors
- Furniture
- Home foundations
- Landscaping (hardscapes)
- Parking lots
- Patios
- Piers
- Retaining walls
- Roof tiles
- Sidewalks
- Streets and roads
- Swimming pools
Jobs in the concrete industry include cement masons, concrete finishers, laborers, carpenters, reinforcing iron and rebar workers, paving and surfacing operators and landscapers.
Carpenters construct the forms for pouring concrete and iron, and rebar workers create the steel mesh and / or bars to reinforce the concrete. Construction laborers smooth the poured concrete and disassemble the forms once the concrete hardens.
Terrazzo workers spread sand, pigment, and marble mixtures over the finished concrete to give it a decorative appearance.
Hazards Working with Concrete
Working with concrete has many hazards, including burns from chemicals. However, it’s the wet concrete that causes the most injuries. The wet product is highly abrasive and caustic. The wet concrete can cause second-degree burns. It can also splash into your eyes. Hazards include:
- Splattering concrete
- Splashing of the curing compound
- Falling objects
- Welding sparks
- Dust
- Abrasive sand
- Heavy lifting injuries.
Personal Protective Equipment Required When Working with Concrete
When working with concrete, you need to protect yourself from burns and abrasions. Abolox carries the personal protective equipment you need, including:
Face Shields
You can find many face shields at Abolox, though not all are best for working with concrete. For example, you wouldn’t want a mesh face shield because of the drops of wet concrete that could splash into your eyes.
The face shields that are sufficient for working with concrete include clear acetate, plastic PETG, and smoke PC. Our face shields attach to most hard hats.
Goggles and Safety Glasses
Goggles or safety glasses are a must when working with concrete. The better option is goggles that seal around your eyes. Abolox carries many options, including:
- Frameless or full frame
- Over-the-glass
- Anti-fog
- Blue mirror
- Bronze anti-fog
- Clear
- Clear anti-fog
- Coffee
- Dark smoke
- Fire mirror
- Electric blue or orange
- Gold mirror
- Green mirror
- HD brown
- Polarized
- Copper
- IRUV 2.0
- IRUV 3.0
- IRUV 5.0
- Indoor / Outdoor
- Indoor / Outdoor anti-fog
- Low IRUV
- And more!
You can also purchase our safety glasses and goggle in bulk lots.
Work Gloves
You’ll find several types of work gloves at Abolox, but the ones you need are cut-resistant, chemical-resistant and impact-resistant gloves. Many of our gloves combine two or more features. For example, the Radians RWG560 PU is rated for cuts, abrasions, and punctures.
Features of some of our cut-resistant gloves include:
- High visibility
- Touchscreen friendly
- Reinforced index finger and thumb crotch
- Reflective logo
- Machine washable
- Elastic cuff
Many of our impact-resistant gloves have some of these features:
- Goatskin
- Durable
- Extreme comfort and dexterity
- Strong tensile strength
- Sirred elastic back
- Keystone thumb
- Level 1 ANSI rating
- TPR back for added impact protection
The features you’ll find on many of the waterproof gloves we carry at Abolox include:
- Insulated
- Stands up to abuse
- Synthetic leather palm and fingertips with silicone dots
- Hook and loop closure for the wrist
- 40-gram Thermostock lining
- High-visibility fabric on the back.
- Windproof.
- Waterproof.
High-Visibility Clothing
When working with concrete, others may be working with machinery, including the concrete truck driver. High-visibility clothing makes it easier for your co-workers to see you. If you are working on a road project, it also makes it easier for drivers to see you. Abolox carries several types of high-visibility clothing for all types of weather.
Bomber Jackets
When it’s cold out, working outside can be very uncomfortable. Instead of trying to stuff you and a heavy coat into a hi-vis vest or other lighter piece of clothing, you can purchase hi-vis bomber jackets to keep you warm.
The bomber jackets we carry at Abolox have many features, including:
- Class 3 visibility
- High daytime visibility
- Silver reflective stipes
- Inner quilted liner
- Hideaway drawstring hood with pull stops
- Zipper front closure
- Two front pockets
- Cell phone pocket
- Mic-tab holders
- Inner pockets
- Waterproof
Rainwear
When it’s raining outside, working can be ultra uncomfortable. Abolox carries rainwear that will keep you dry. Features of some of our high-visibility rainwear include:
- ANSI 107 Certified
- Reversible to the black side
- 32-inches of 2-inch silver 3M Scotchlite Reflective Film
- Lightweight
- Type P Class 3 for high visibility
- Leaf collar with hood
- Storm flap with a snap closure
- Raglan shoulder design
- 10-inch side slits with snap closures
Hoodies
When it’s chilly but not too cold, and a bomber jacket is too warm, you can wear a high-visibility hoodie to keep the chill off you. Abolox carries several hi-vis hoodies to help protect you against hazards in the concrete industry and keep you warm. Features for some of the hoodies we carry at Abolox include:
- Comes in several sizes
- Low-piling polyester fleece
- 2-inch silver reflective tape
- Full front zipper
- Two pouch pockets
- Hood with adjustable pull cords
- Custom imprinting available
- Choose from hi-vis orange or hi-vis green
- Meets ANSI / ISEA 107-2015 standards
Welding Clothing
When welding rebar and other metals in the concrete industry, you need specific welding clothing to keep from getting burned by sparks and accidents. Abolox carries welding gloves with long wrists, aprons, welding jackets, welding blankets, rod holders, chaps and bibs.
Visit Abolox
When you need personal protective equipment for the concrete industry, visit Abolox – you’ll find everything you need – and if you don’t, we’ll source it for you.
