There have been two near misses involving delivery of concrete to customer’s sites.

Incident 1

A mixer driver filled a concrete skip on a customer’s site. A construction site operative attached a metal lifting chain to the concrete skip and then directed a plant operative to lift it with a loadall. When the skip was at a height of approx. 2m, the lifting chain snapped and the skip fell. It landed at the rear passenger side of the lorry. Fortunately, the driver had stepped away from the lifting zone. This had the potential to be very serious. The driver noted that after the incident the site personnel then lifted the skip with a worn webbed sling.

Incident Findings – why did it happen?

1. There was no lift plan in place - the correct lifting accessory (chain or sling) to lift the concrete skip was not planned in advance.
2. Construction site personnel did not use a lifting chain that could lift this skip safely – they may not have known the weight of the filled skip and so used a lifting chain that was not strong enough or they may not have known or understood the rating of the chain
3. The lifting chain may already have been damaged.

Incident 2:

A concrete mixer driver was delivering to a customer’s construction site. He was instructed by the tower crane operator to return unused concrete to the drum of the mixer truck from the concrete skip. The mixer driver climbed the ladder on the lorry, then the site banksman directed the tower crane operator to lower the skip and then directed the skip hose into the hopper of the lorry drum. When the driver pulled the rope on the skip to release the concrete into the drum the skip hose blocked, sending concrete back up the pipe covering the driver’s hard hat and upper body. The driver was not wearing safety glasses but fortunately concrete did not get into his eyes.

Incident Findings – why did it happen?

1. The customer’s procedure for waste concrete was not followed by their site team i.e. waste concrete must be poured into forklift bucket for removal to the site tip.
2. The driver felt under pressure to return the unused concrete to the mixer drum.
3. There was no foreman on site to ensure waste procedures were followed.

• Drivers must stop to assess every delivery site – if it is not safe to deliver contact your line manager or use your STOP WORK card.


• Head to toe high visibility clothing, metatarsal safety boots, hard hats, safety glasses and gloves must be worn when outside the cab.


• Always look for overhead hazards whilst on sites – this includes objects falling from scaffolding, items being lifted by plant or cranes and overhead lines. Hard hats must be worn at all times.


• Drivers and all site personnel must move to a safe area well outside the lifting zone when concrete skips and any other items are being lifted overhead.


• Drivers must not handle concrete skips. It is the responsibility of the customer to safely dispose of any unused material in concrete skips – it must not be returned to the drum of the mixer lorry.