Concrete cutting, sawing and drilling equipment is used on new construction, renovation and demolition worksites nearly every day, and a potential occupational hazard involves the presence of buried hazards including electrical, gas, water, structural and/or fiber optic cable lines.

To help foster safety on the jobsite, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has developed a Best Practice Guidelines for Addressing Buried Hazards. The guidelines document was prepared by the association's Masonry and Concrete Saw Manufacturers Institute (SMI), which numbers more than a dozen companies, including most North American manufacturers of concrete and masonry cutting equipment as well as saw blades. Their products range from hand-held saws and core drills, to walk-behind saws and even large, ride-on cutters used on highways.

SMI also has a working relationship with the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association (CSDA), whose members include concrete-cutting contractors and equipment manufacturers, and earlier this year sought CSDA input on the guidelines.

While modern construction equipment is designed and built with state-of-the-art safety features and protection devices, accidents can occur. The SMI buried hazard guidelines stress the importance of proper operator training, planning and foresight with the belief that awareness and vigilance can accomplish more, protection-wise, than any safeguard built into a piece of equipment.

"While it may not be possible to follow all of these guidelines all of the time, a little common sense can go a long way and they should be kept in mind. Good observation skills and judgment are essential. If you understand the guidelines and mentally refer to them on the jobsite, the odds of getting hurt or causing damage should be greatly minimized," commented past SMI Chairman Ron Karbowski, Manager of World Product Safety at Saint Gobain Abrasives.