Ready-Mix Concrete Trucks

A loaded ready-mix truck can weigh 60,000 to 70,000 pounds or more, with a high center of gravity and a heavy rotating drum. Drivers and site workers get hurt by rollovers, backing accidents, chute and power line contacts, caustic concrete and the drum itself. Good site planning and teamwork between driver and crew prevent most of these.

• Truck Drivers
• Concrete Crews
• Site Supervisors

Main hazards

• Rollovers: wet concrete shifts as the truck turns or brakes, and the heavy drum raises the center of gravity. Soft or sloped ground, steep ramps, curbs and the edges of excavations are common causes. See Equipment Rollovers and Slopes & Unstable Ground.
• Backing: trucks have big blind spots, and crews working around the pour are easy to miss. See Backing & Spotters.
• Overhead power lines: raised chutes and extension chutes can touch lines. See Overhead Power Lines.
• Rotating drum and chute: clothing, hands and tools can catch. Chutes are heavy and can swing or fall, and pinch hands.
• Wet concrete: it’s alkaline and can cause serious skin burns and eye injuries, and can burn through boots and clothing. See Skin Disease & Dermatitis and Corrosives.
• Dust and silica during washout and cleanup of hardened concrete. See Silica.
• Confined space and entry into the drum for cleaning or chipping out hardened concrete.
• Slips and falls on the truck ladder and platform, and from wet concrete and washwater. See Slips, Trips & Falls.
• Struck by moving trucks, chutes and loads, and caught between the truck and a form or wall.

Site planning before the truck arrives

• Plan the route and the spot. Pick a firm, level, wide access route and a spot that doesn’t require backing across a crowd, and ask the driver what is needed. Mark the route and the hazards.
• Check ground bearing capacity. A loaded truck can sink or tip on soft ground, backfill, septic areas and utility trenches, and near the edge of excavations. Use planks, steel road plates or compacted base where needed, and keep trucks back from slopes and trench edges as a competent person directs. See Excavation Basics.
• Look up. Locate overhead power lines and keep the truck and chutes at least 10 feet away (more for higher voltage), or have the utility de-energize or shield them. Assign a spotter. See Overhead Power Lines.
• Separate people from trucks. Use barricades and keep a clear exclusion zone for workers on foot, and provide a safe place for the crew to stand.
• Brief the crew and driver on the plan, signals, positions, emergency shut-off and a traffic plan. See Work Zones if the pour is next to a road.
• Provide wash facilities, eye wash and clean water for skin and eyes. See Eyewash & Showers.
• Plan the washout: have a designated, lined washout area, away from storm drains and waterways. See Stormwater & SWPPP.

Backing and positioning

• Use a spotter who has been trained, stands where the driver can see them, and uses clear signals or two-way radio. Drivers stop if they lose sight of the spotter.
• Everyone stays out of the blind spots and the swing zone, and never walks behind the truck.
• Set up on firm, level ground with the parking brake on, and chock the wheels when parked on a slope or when specified by the company.
• Keep forms and equipment out of the truck’s path. Don’t stand between the truck and a wall, a form or another vehicle.
• Make sure the truck has a working backup alarm and mirrors, and that lights and cameras are clean. See Proximity Warning Systems.

Working at the chute

• Only the driver (or a trained, authorized person) operates the controls. Agree on signals for start, stop, drum speed and chute movement.
• Handle chutes carefully. They’re heavy. Use proper lifting methods, keep hands clear of pinch points, secure extensions and keep the chute locked in place while the truck moves. Never walk with a chute swung out.
• Keep out from under a raised chute and out of the path of swinging parts. Watch for overhead lines.
• Wear PPE: hard hat, safety glasses, high-visibility clothing, waterproof gloves, and rubber boots high enough to keep wet concrete out. See High-Visibility Clothing and Hand Protection.
• Stay clear of the drum while it turns and don’t reach in. Don’t wear loose clothing or jewelry.
• Watch the pour. Keep the truck from placing weight on forms, ramps, edges and slabs that can’t hold it. Never let the truck push concrete forms or backfill.

Wet concrete: skin and eye safety

• Wet concrete, mortar and grout can cause chemical burns, which may not hurt until hours later. Kneeling in it or wet boots filled with it are common causes.
• If concrete gets on skin or clothing, rinse it off right away with clean water, and remove soaked clothing and boots. Don’t rub it in. See Chemical Exposure First Aid.
• For eye splashes, flush with clean water for at least 15 minutes and get medical care. See Eye Injuries.
• Report burns and get medical care. Don’t rely on neutralizing creams.

Washing out and cleaning the drum

• Wash out only in the designated area, with care for splashes, silica dust, and runoff that is alkaline. Don’t let washwater go into storm drains, streams or soil.
• Entering the drum is a confined space. It needs lockout of the drum drive and engine, a permit, ventilation and an attendant outside, as the employer’s program requires. Chipping hardened concrete creates dust and noise. See Confined Spaces and Lockout/Tagout.
• Use proper tools and PPE for chipping: respirator, hearing protection, eye and face protection and gloves. See Respiratory Protection and Noise.
• Don’t let hardened concrete build up, since it adds weight and makes chip-out more dangerous.

Ready-mix truck checklist

• The route and the spot are on firm, level ground and clear of power lines
• A trained spotter directs backing; workers stay out of blind spots and the swing zone
• Chutes are secured; only the driver or an authorized person operates the controls
• Everyone wears waterproof gloves, high boots, glasses and high-visibility gear
• Wash water and eyewash are available; concrete on skin is rinsed off right away
• The washout is contained, and entry into the drum follows confined space and lockout rules

Last updated: October 5, 2026