Kerb Laying on Highways

Kerb laying on highways involves handling heavy concrete kerb units adjacent to live traffic.
Standard concrete kerbs weigh 40–70 kg each, causing significant manual handling strain over a shift.
Mechanical kerb laying machines and vacuum lifters significantly reduce manual handling demands.
Cutting kerbs with disc cutters generates high levels of respirable crystalline silica dust and noise.
Work takes place within traffic management on the highway, exposing workers to vehicle incursion risk.
Repetitive bending, lifting, and kneeling during kerb laying causes back, knee, and wrist injuries.
Concrete bedding and haunching materials are caustic — gloves and skin protection are essential.
NRSWA permits and reinstatement standards apply when laying kerbs in adopted highways.
Kerb units can topple from stacks during offloading, causing crush injuries to feet and legs.
The MAC (Manual Handling Assessment Chart) tool can assess the risk of repetitive kerb handling.

Manual handling	Repetitive lifting of 40–70 kg kerbs is a leading cause of back injury among highway operatives.
Silica dust	Disc cutting concrete kerbs generates extremely high silica dust concentrations that cause lung cancer.
Traffic exposure	Working at ground level near live traffic makes kerb layers highly vulnerable to vehicle incursion.

Do

Don't

Use vacuum lifters or mechanical kerb layers to reduce manual handling where possible
Cut kerbs using water suppression and RPE to control silica dust exposure
Install Chapter 8 traffic management before starting kerb work on any highway
Wear hearing protection during all kerb cutting operations with disc cutters
Apply the MAC tool to assess and reduce manual handling risk for kerb laying tasks
Wear chemical-resistant gloves when handling wet concrete bedding and haunching material
Rotate tasks between laying, cutting, and concreting to reduce repetitive strain
Secure kerb stacks during transport and offloading to prevent toppling
Wear knee pads during prolonged kneeling for kerb alignment and bedding
Obtain NRSWA permits and follow reinstatement standards for highway kerb work

DON'T lift heavy kerbs manually where vacuum lifters or mechanical aids are available
DON'T cut concrete kerbs without water suppression, RPE, and hearing protection
DON'T lay kerbs on highways without Chapter 8 traffic management in place
DON'T handle wet concrete bedding without chemical-resistant gloves and skin protection
DON'T kneel directly on the sub-base without knee pads or kneeling mats
DON'T carry kerbs over uneven ground where you could trip and drop the unit
DON'T stack kerbs higher than a safe stable height during offloading and storage
DON'T continue working through back, knee, or wrist pain — report it promptly
DON'T stand between kerb stacks and the delivery vehicle during offloading
DON'T ignore the manual handling assessment — kerb laying is one of the hardest tasks

See also: Handling Kerbs and Paving | Vacuum Lifters for Kerbs and Paving

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