Should gloves be worn when working with concrete to prevent it from coming in contact with skin?

Question

I was told recently that concrete is slightly corrosive.

Should gloves be worn when using concrete or is it fine to handle concrete as long as its not done on a regular basis?

Answer 1

Cement (the active component of concrete) is a base (an alkali) that can be irritating to skin. It is not very strong and should not be a problem on all but sensitive skin, if the exposure is short or intermittent. It could be very irritating to eyes and nasal passages if there is a lot of exposure.

Gloves are not a bad idea (e.g., disposable nitrile) but concrete pourers and DIYers handle all the time with little ill effect (again, for short exposure).

Answer 2

Corrosive? You bet. Wet concrete can cause chemical burns, 3rd degree burns, cause blindness if gotten in the eyes. Wear gloves no matter how often you use concrete. Now, unless you like what your skin turns to when working with concrete without gloves, go ahead.

Answer 3

As you can see from the other answers, there is a range of opinions.

I have observed that some people handle concrete bare-handed without trouble, while others' skin reacts very badly. For example, my neighbor got sores very fast with exposure to concrete while setting fence posts. And I've heard reports that these types of sores heal very slowly.

If you don't want to wear gloves, then try without them, and see how it goes.

Certain activities require more contact with concrete than others. For example, when building a cordwood masonry wall, you typically place concrete by the handful. The literature recommends wearing heavy rubber gloves, and coating your hands with a protective oil beforehand.

Don't forget about your lungs. Breathing concrete dust can be harmful, in ways that you can't immediately detect. Consider a dust mask when mixing, especially indoors.