Should there be a standard on hose elevation knee , waist , chest , head ? Every hoseman likes it different but what are the safest elevations ? I would think the further away from the head the better , but try telling that to the guy wanting to push on the hose all day , I have ran across many of the at the shoulder hose men , and I have also seen operators whether it be unfamiliarity with the pump or just not caring constantly changing elevations from low to high , should there be a standard we try to abide by is what I'm asking ?

Waist height is the to go easier on the hose man, you might get complaints from the placing crew if you do not have a full hose .                                                                                  

pudg- just to clarify something- By "elevation" you are talkin about the height of the end of the  hose from the deck/ concrete????

Rob-" the higher the hose the greater the liabilty" - think you should take note.   If you believe that a hose should be head high or max 3 feet above then ask your self how many hosemen have 3 foot long arms to actually reach the hose and co ordinate it?   On a technical note isnt there guidelines as to how far concrete should free fall before it affects the mix.

This place is un-believable almost to the point of being ridiculous at times.......Who in the hell, in their right mind would ever want to have the hose at there head or above it.......Just a waiting for any chance you's can get to tear somebody a new a$$ eh !

rob... head high... you cant be serious??? I look at it like a baseball pitcher.. waist to the knees is butter.no more no less.

everyone rob is being sarcastic , but I am with him I see it all the time head high and above , its just a thought, no one has ever come up with the standard . 

Chest to knees is good. Picture it like a strike zone in baseball. That height allows the hose-person to direct the flow, if needed. Below the knees could cause crushed toes if there's a bounce, and if the hose bottoms out on the deck, it acts as though it's plugged. Head high is asking for concrete on the noggin. Head high with a double ended hose is asking for a decapitation.

Having the hose head high is like opting to be in a union, you'd have to be retarded for it to make sense to you - right Rob.

I work for a concrete contractor!  Our hose men have a few years on them and besides finishing concrete they run the hose and they like it chest high. Easier to push at high volumes!   I dont personaly agree with this,   knee or waist high is the standard I practice with other customers, I've got 27 years on a pump. dont know if I'll make it much longer but I always learn from the new kid on the pump.  Think About It!!!!!    POUR IT OUT!!!!

Knee to waist is my way.if the hoose man gets a foot cought up on soom rebar and trips you stick it in the slab fast and not cover him with a stroke or two.

the way it should be done northwestern.

 I like the "Strike Zone" too. It leaves the perfect margin for error or accident. Below the knee and it's gonna take a nose dive eventually, which can kink the whip or simply piss the hoseman off. Above the elbows and he's gonna lose it when you get that surprise gulp of air and the boom gets light and lifts a foot or two. Where would you want the hose when it decides to buck & snort? You sure as hell dont want it between your feet and the last place you want it is anywhere above the belt, otherwise you're gonna get "raggdolled"

 If you happen to have one of those sweet machines that can bounce from head to ankle at full volume, then turn it down a little or reset your pump and put it back on all fours! You can open it back up when you boom in a little closer to the truck. 

I couldn't have said it any better...hose any higher than waist is asking for trouble...

 Rob, I'm guess'n you might not have used the term 'raggdolled'? Another personal favorite is "Hosewhoppin", and "Whipslapped"

ragdolled, was not a term I was familiar with, but it is good terminology for situation we are discussing.

to hell with the hoseman ,put it where your comfort level is safely .and pour it out they can bitch/raise hell complain what ever,or do it your way safely.in the pumping industry your not going to  please all ,all the time.but you can make them apprichiate your talents and abillitys.who knows you may be the best they ever had.... 

Waste to knees! Works for me , even when im pushing the hose , if a hoseman needs it above that there not right for the job , maybe they should go and sew soccer balls... There are plenty of hoseman that want it up around chest hight of or higher, even though you warn them of the danger.... Funny its those guys that are the first to cry that they hurt them self! ..... No sympathy

Im a waist to knees advocate. It gives you a good height where there is little splash and, it gives the hose man good range and, keeps the weight of the hose at a good leverage point, incase he needs to add concrete somewhere. I believe in laying the hose down if there is going to be a massive push to reach a corner as opposed to holding it up on shoulders and, I use a tapered hose about 95% of the time, it is safer and, more efficient than reducers. I only go to reducers and, double endeds if I have to add system when laying the hose down wont cut it.

 I have had a couple of hosemen request I keep it shoulder height and, I refused to do so. I had one guy telling me he like to push it over his head and, we almost went to blows over it, with him being the instigator. What was great was soon after one of the trucks dropped some fin trash in my hopper and, it made the tip of my tapered whip some and, that guy didnt argue with me again after the hose bounced him a bit, if it had been over his head he knew he would have benn having a bad day. Somehow I always get lucky in that something always happens where an example comes showing Im doing it the safe way without anyone getting hurt.

 My all time favorite on this subject is the guy with the 4 foot mono wall that has to pour it from standing on the ground rather than on top. An inch down & your rippin off his hardware, an inch too high & he cant even reach it anymore!

 That's a narrowass margin for error! When it all goes well they have no clue that every single time the pump was turned on & off the boom was being lowered and raised while the tip of the whip never even wiggled. It makes me chuckle a little when they ask me to come up an inch or two.    

justapumper,

your statement that tapered hoses are safer than reducers is one of the dumbest statements I've heard you have to let me know how ? reductions should be in steel never in rubber thats a hosewhoopin waiting to happen, more efficient ? i dont think so either a steel reducer is cheaper and last longer , cant understand where you come up with this especially safer , I understand as a operator it may be easier on you that doesnt make it safer, some of these statements never cease to amaze me, its hard to believe with statements like that were not in more trouble than we already are.

Unless I'm doing a wall or columns, I ALLWAYS run a 5 inch hose,  if you dont like gettin dirty your in the wrong business.  And I tell them so.  If they dont like it I tell them to stand away from the hose and i'll pump it out without them.

Costomer service at its finest!

We had a guy in Orlando that was about 7'6" and he wanted it over his head. as soon as you turn the pump on he would say, pick it up, an turn it up.

Igo, its spelled customer, dont criticize someone if you cant spell cat.  And exactly how many months have you been running your twenty-eight meter??  For some reason I have always been able to fill up a five inch hose with concrete,  I guess thats what some people call experience.

Knee to waist is right and safest in my book.
Hey, bigstick, what slump do you usually pump?
I usually don't use any bigger than 4.5 because of the high slump we use, 200++, have to go all the way up to 7 on my putz to fill the hose...