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  David Cox February 15, 2011 at 10:15pm

  My understanding was that it takes at least a couple of mins direct contact to have a serious effect like that, and that it can be averted by simply washing off?

  Further I always wear gloves anyway, as a standard matter of precaution - usually cheap gardening gloves so i can still use my fingers freely.

  I sympathise with the woman in the picture, but surely to get them that bad she must have not washed or done anything about the burn as it developed? Correct me if im wrong, But for the court to reject the case, there must have been exposure beyond what a normal person would have tolerated.
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  phil smith yewtreelandscapes.com February 15, 2011 at 10:17pm

  i use a lot of cement as most of my work is hard landscaping, driveways, patios & brickwork, it can burn the skin morely when your hands are not hardened to it and if it gets on skin that is not usually exposed to it, but the knees, what kind of idiot kneels in wet cement
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  Anthony Toop February 15, 2011 at 11:01pm

  Ive never had cement burns myself but i have accidentally transferred cement powder from dusty hands onto my steering wheel, the result was a surface that looks like it has had some sort of corrosive chemical on it and has, for want of a better word 'melted' the surface in the areas where my hands were. It didnt happen immediately but became apparent over several months.
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  Lawncare-4u.co.uk February 16, 2011 at 1:47am

  Nasty stuff ,   im sure mick / kerry will confirm.

   

  ive heard a few stories ...........  burn knees etc .     ouch ouch  .  2 pics on 3rd row below /link.

   

  http://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/imagelibrary.htm
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    Lawncare-4u.co.uk > Lawncare-4u.co.uk February 16, 2011 at 2:08am

    http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3412957/Mums-horror-cemen...
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  Mark Watson February 16, 2011 at 7:52am

  When cement is mixed with water, a chemical reaction occurs and Calcium Hydroxide is formed.It's like caustic soda , extremely alkaline ( opposite of acidic), so this is what does the damage.

  Cement dust will do the same thing, albeit more slowly as it reacts with moisture in the air.
  • PRO

    Stuart @ Eco Garden Maintenance > Mark Watson February 16, 2011 at 7:59am

    I dont know about burning but my hands go really really dry and crack if i get cement on them. Can be really bad if i'm not careful

     

    stu
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  Gary Orton February 16, 2011 at 6:01pm

  If I use cement ( especially in a mixer ) I get really sore lips. I guess its the dust reacting with the moisture. I always put lip balm on now before starting and it seems to help. I did know someone who got wet concrete in his wellies and his feet were badly burnt. Nasty stuff and we don't take it seriously enough.
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    Simon Smith > Gary Orton February 16, 2011 at 6:57pm

    It's differerent for different people. dry cement is not bad but handling mortar all day would give you problems. Then again if you are laying bricks the only occasion you need to use your hand to touch the mortar is laying a cavity wall overhand, then a thick rubber glove can be used.