Sri Lanka NVQ L3 Mason key terms

Clothing and gear worn to protect the body from site hazards, such as safety helmet, boots, gloves, goggles, hi-vis vest and hearing protection. It is the last line of defence and must be worn as instructed on site.

Anything on a masonry site that has the potential to cause harm, such as an unguarded scaffold edge, falling bricks, sharp tools, dust or live electrical cables. Hazards are identified before work starts and then controlled.

A written check of the hazards in a task, how likely each one is to cause harm and how serious that harm would be, followed by the controls needed to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.

A short safety briefing given by the supervisor to the work team at the start of a shift or task. It explains the day's hazards, the control measures and any changes to the method of work.

Fine dust produced when cutting, grinding or drilling concrete, bricks, blocks or stone. Breathing it damages the lungs, so dust must be controlled with water suppression, extraction or suitable respiratory protection.

A drawing showing where materials, spoil, mixers, storage, site huts, access roads and services will be placed on the site. It helps work flow safely and prevents clashes and double handling.

Storing bricks, blocks, cement, sand and stone in stable, level and well-drained positions so they do not collapse, roll or spoil. Stacks are kept low, away from edges and clear of access routes.

The defined path people, vehicles and materials use to enter, move around and leave the site. It must be kept clear, firm and lit so that deliveries and emergency exits are never blocked.

A fixed reference point or level from which heights and positions on the site are measured. Datums are marked clearly and protected so that all setting out and level checks stay consistent.

Transferring the positions, lines and levels of a building from the drawings onto the ground. It uses pegs, profiles, lines and levels so walls, corners and openings are built in the correct place.

A tool with sealed glass vials containing a bubble that shows whether a surface is horizontal or vertical. Masons use it to check courses, sills and frames for true level and plumb.

A strong, brightly coloured cord stretched between two points to give a straight guide for laying courses. Bricks, blocks or stones are lined to it so the wall face stays straight and even.

A set of timber boards fixed outside the building corners at a known level, marked with the wall lines and heights. Strings stretched between them guide excavation and wall construction.

A flat steel blade with a handle, used to pick up and spread mortar, tap bricks into place and trim excess mortar from joints. It is the mason's main hand tool.

A wide, flat chisel with a hardened edge used with a club hammer for cutting bricks, blocks and stone and for chasing walls. It gives a straight, controlled cut line.

A machine with a rotating drum that blends cement, sand, coarse aggregate and water into concrete or mortar. Mixing time must be long enough to give a uniform colour and even consistency.

A mixture of cement or lime, fine aggregate such as sand, and water, used to bed bricks and blocks and to fill joints. It sets hard to bind the units into a single strong wall.

The proportion of cement, lime and sand in a mortar, for example 1:1:6 or 1:5. The ratio is chosen for the strength and durability the wall needs.

The weight of water compared with the weight of cement in a mix. Too much water weakens concrete and mortar, so the mix should be only as wet as needed for workability.

A site test that measures how workable or wet a concrete mix is. Fresh concrete is placed in a cone, the cone is lifted and the amount the concrete slumps is measured.

Keeping concrete, mortar or plaster moist and protected for a set period after placing so that it gains strength and does not crack. Methods include water spraying, wet coverings and plastic sheeting.

A brickwork bond in which every brick in a course is laid lengthwise, with the joints offset by half a brick to the course below. It is used mostly for half-brick walls.

A brickwork bond made of alternating courses of headers and stretchers. It is strong and suitable for load-bearing walls of one brick or more in thickness.

The external corner of a masonry wall, built with specially selected or shaped bricks or stones. Quoins are raised first and used to line and level the rest of the wall.

The horizontal layer of mortar on which a brick, block or stone is laid. Its thickness is usually about 10 mm and it must be full and even for strength.

A continuous barrier of impervious material built into a wall just above ground level to stop moisture rising into the building. It must not be bridged by mortar or rubble.

Walling built from roughly shaped or unshaped stones taken from the quarry or field, bedded in mortar. It is common for foundations, retaining walls and boundary walls.

Rubble walling where the stones are laid in roughly horizontal courses of similar height, with joints broken between courses. It is neater and stronger than random rubble.

A long stone that runs through the full thickness of a rubble wall and ties the two faces together. Through stones are placed at regular intervals and often at corners for stability.

Masonry of accurately cut and dressed stone with fine, even joints, laid in regular courses. It is used where a smooth, high-quality finish is required.

A protective, weather-resisting coat of mortar applied to the outside face of a wall. It is usually applied in two or more coats and finished with a wood float, sponge or steel trowel.

The first coat of render or plaster, combed or scratched with a tool to create a rough key. It provides a grip for the following coat.

Filling hollow or uneven areas of a wall with small amounts of mortar before the main plaster or render coat is applied. It brings the background close to an even surface.

A white, powdery salt deposit that appears on the surface of masonry or plaster. It usually comes from moisture carrying salts through the material and is brushed off once dry.

A written record of small defects or incomplete items found during inspection near handover. Each snag is listed with its location and must be corrected and signed off.

The permitted amount by which a finished dimension, level or line may vary from what the drawing shows. Work outside tolerance must be corrected before it is accepted.

A test in which concrete cubes are cast on site, cured and crushed in a laboratory to measure compressive strength. Results show whether the concrete meets the specified grade.

A written description of how a work task will be carried out safely and in the correct sequence, including plant, materials, people and controls. Workers must follow it.

A formal request from the site team to the store or office for the materials needed for a task. It records the type, quantity and date required.

A clear, step-by-step direction given to a worker or team on how to carry out a specific task, including quantities, sequence and the quality expected.