• Wear waterproof gloves and eye protection when handling wet concrete for cubes.
• Fill and compact cube moulds following the BS EN 12390 procedure exactly.
• Label each cube clearly with pour reference, date, time, and location.
• Store freshly cast cubes in a secure area protected from vibration and disturbance.
• Transfer cubes to a curing tank within the specified time after casting.
• Use correct manual handling technique when lifting filled cube moulds.
• Wash hands and forearms thoroughly after handling wet concrete.
• Coordinate with the concrete pump crew to sample safely away from the discharge.
• Record all sampling details on the test request form contemporaneously.
• Ensure the testing laboratory is UKAS-accredited for concrete testing.

• DON'T handle wet concrete without waterproof gloves — cement causes skin burns.
• DON'T drop or knock cube moulds during transport — it damages the specimen.
• DON'T leave freshly cast cubes where they can be disturbed by site traffic.
• DON'T delay transferring cubes to the curing tank beyond the specified period.
• DON'T fill cubes from a location that is unsafe or too close to the pump.
• DON'T use damaged or dirty cube moulds — they affect the test result.
• DON'T skip compaction — under-compacted cubes give falsely low strength results.
• DON'T label cubes after the event — errors in identification invalidate results.
• DON'T allow cubes to freeze or overheat during initial curing on site.
• DON'T send cubes to a laboratory that is not UKAS-accredited for the test.

See also: Concrete Pour Safety | Inspection and Test Plan Awareness