Concrete crushing is a procedure you will benefit from doing as you're performing building projects on your property and clearing old materials. Concrete crushing is an important part of concrete recycling, and recycling the material can mean that your building project becomes more environmentally friendly and can also become cheaper as you can make money off recycling the material. Concrete crushing is, however, a rather dangerous procedure with large forces at work. If you plan on doing your own concrete crushing, you need to be aware of the appropriate safety precautions in order to not injure yourself.
Leaning
An important thing when it comes to safety is the placement of the concrete crusher. Regardless of what type of concrete crusher you're using, you should make sure that the machine is levelled on the ground and that it stands firmly on an even surface. If it's completely impossible to avoid the machine leaning in any direction, you should make sure it leans in the operational direction. This means that you should place it so that the crushing mechanism of the machine is positioned at the lowest point of the machine. This makes it easier for the material to make it down to the crusher and reduces the risk of material falling out of the machine because of a leaning machine. Never place it the other way around, with the crusher at the highest point, as this increases the risk of material tumbling out of the machine, possibly hurting you.
Blockage
A common malfunction with concrete crushers is that they can be become blocked when operating. Concrete, asphalt or other road base materials can build up inside the machine if too large volumes are placed in the crusher at once. It's very important that you don't attempt to fix this blockage until the machine is properly shut off. Do not reach into the machine until it's completely shut off and locked. You should also make sure to wear a breathing mask if you have to reach into the machine, as the dust accumulated by the concrete crushing process can be harmful to your lungs. It may even be useful to use the breathing mask throughout the project in case the dust is released in other ways as well.
Guards
Make sure that the guards on the concrete crusher are up to date and that they are firmly mounted on the machine. Never use a machine with malfunctioning guards, as this can lead to material shooting out from the machine. It can also cause crushed material to spread around the machine and make the ground slippery to walk on, meaning the risk of falling and possibly injuring yourself that way increases. Make sure the guards on the machine are functional before you start using the machine.
For more information, contact a local concrete crushing service like South Coast Concrete Crushing & Recycling.
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