The Good Practice Guide for the Safe Use of Concrete Pumps has been written by the British Concrete Pumping Interest Group (BCPIG), part of the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA), in collaboration with the Health & Safety Executive.

Development in machinery technology has allowed concrete to be pumped under pressure through pipelines across greater distances than before and in significant volumes. However, their increased power has led to a significant number of serious accidents, including some fatalities.

The 47-page document makes clear that the safe operation of concrete pumps depends on correct selection and maintenance of the pump and placing boom, the planning and supervision of their use, and the competence of the operator and other personnel. If any of these are deficient, the risk of an accident increases significantly.

It also makes clear that site managers must ensure that all concrete pumping operations are planned, supervised and carried out safely.

HSE chief inspector of construction Heather Bryant said: “This new guidance has been prepared by a working group representing all parts of the industry, including the Health & Safety Executive, to provide clarity on the safe use of concrete pumps; including planning, role of personnel, training and familiarization of personnel, safe use, maintenance, inspection and thorough examination. The guidance is straightforward, comprehensive and easy to adopt. It represents good practice which may go further than the minimum you need to do in order to comply with the law.”

The Good Practice Guide for the Safe Use of Concrete Pumps can be downloaded for free from the CPA website. The guidance supersedes an old code of practice that was first released in 2004.

http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/new-guidance-on-safe-use-of-concrete-pumps

Its about time we get some demands on training and certification in this industry. Here in Norway any idiot that has a truck licence can drive a concretepump. Thats rediculus..  Any other machine you need some kind of diploma. Even a mini digging machine. But a concretepump with all its dangers... Just go ahead my friend...

When I started pumping it was 4 years ago that I got my trucklicense. I got it in a 2 day ''express'' course. After that I never drove any truck untill I got my first pump 4 years later. I tell you honestly its pure luck that I didn't kill somebody in my first year.. Maybe because I worked with pumps as a finnisher before so I did know something about the risks. Some guys come in here and never even see a concretepoor before

I see more and more new pumps where the manf tries to make the machine ''idiotproof'' I think thats the wrong direction for making this industy safe. The newest machines get so complicated to operate that it takes all your atention making the machine do its work and takes away the atention from whats realy happening. You spend way to much time staring at your remore and controlpanels instead of at the endhose..

Good training for the operators is a much more important issue I think..

"Make something idiot proof, and only idiots will want to use it."

In Sweden we have almost the same situation. We have a "proof of profession" issued by the union (byggnads) which

is mandatory when hiring an operator at any of the serious companies here.

For every serious company however, there are at least five hillbillys' that break every rule in the book

to get a foothold on the market. I've seen and heard things so unbelievably stupid. Like trying to operate the hose AND the

machine at the same time while it's dangling with tree support legs in the air.

This is the customer base our manufacturers make the machines for, because these guys make big money.

Big companies with well trained operators that follow the rules are perhaps seen as a bit inconvenient.... 

We have this proof of profession here to. Its a joke. I had a 2 day course where they almost just gave me the answers to the test in advance. During the exame some guys where just asking questions to the teacher and he was just answering!! Impossible to fail the test they told us in advance

Why not the same rules as for cranedrivers?? In some ways a concretepump is maybe more easy then a crane but in some ways its also much more dangerous..  

We are not talking about the same PoP.

Ours is equivalent to crane operators PoP. Not much different than apprentice education for carpenters or concrete workers.

Takes years to get.

My point is that NOBODY except the employer checks if we have them or is even interested...

Aha.. What if something happens??

Guys, not puting line pumping on the same level,cause lord knows its not , but as dangerous as any kind of pumping is i think there should be some sort of certification even for us in that part of the industry. I surely think it should be a pass or fail test, not a let me give you the answers before you see the test .