I am new at this and just started running a linepump for a small company and training on a boompump,I am not stupid and see stickers all over the pump that says stay 17' away from powerlines but my trainer told me it was alrite as long as I didnt come in contact with it and he charges 250 dollars extra to get within 8 foot and I have made a extra 500 dollars this month because he splits it with me, and I had guys telling me you couldnt make any money with concrete pumps.As close as hes been and it doesnt arc so I dont see why they recommend 17 foot when in reality you can get within atleast 5 ft safely, and make some extra cash.

Save that cash, stuff it in the pillow in your casket, or use it to defend the lawsuit. Dumbass!!

I think you better ask for a new trainer if you are lucky he will get  fined big time are you going to help him pay the fine, just some good advice get the hell away from your trainer.

OMG

This has to be a joke guys.

From his profile: Occupation pump operator Job pilot Interests concrete women makin money surfin sky diving base jumping Sounds like an adrenaline junky, no bigger adrenalin rush than 14,000 volts!! There are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots!! Same can be said for concrete pumpers. If you can get the hoseman, the rest of the guys in the rebar in the pour area and the mixer driver to agree to risk their lives while you stand to the side, safe, with your remote, what the hell, hey? Personally, If an operator takes that risk, and puts others (usually unwillingly, and unknowing) in danger, I think that there should be a ground wire off the boom, clamped to the operators testicles, or up his ass, then he's got some incentive to be safe.

Who else is biting on this? There has been some crazy pics and post here lately. Where the hell is Bob/// 

I just drove away from a job because of to much power. Many a man has lost there lives hooking up. Beware my friend/// 

No joke fellows we've did it 4 times in a little less than a month,we were told there's nothn we can't do and I was worried cause I been around equipment and power but we never let a man on the hose concrete driver in the cab and ain't allowing no one withn 10 foot of the pump and for the mouths that said stupid I got mines and hopefully we ain't gotta do it much but these contractors or lovin us and finishers to they no we gonna getr done,and yes fellows I am a adreniline rush guy but I ain't wantn to die but we gotta put food on the table and this is just what we gotta do sometimes round here once I get some more exprience I get y'all some pics trainer says no pics so it might be little while,really like this site seem like some fine fellows on her

 jj707

Welcome to the site.  If you're going to get super close to the wires and there's no changing your mind about it, keep everyone away from the hose and pump itself.  If for some reason you do get into the powerlines, make sure to have your trainer reach in the cab and shut the engine off...

Good luck jj707. I am postive we are going to here from you or about you soon///

like to give you some tips on working near or even under powerlines but for me, and it sounds like everyone else those days are over.only thing you need to know is stay recomended distance and have a trained independant spotter.mate i never thought i would lose my fingers sticking hand in the rock.guess what.check out safety video on youtube for meales if your lucky thats what a minor eletrocution will do(blow of fingers&toes).please please listen to the responses of these guys.

I wonder why the 'trainer' doesn't want pictures taken? When the Judge hears the story about charging extra to get closer to powerlines, I'm sure he'll understand and be lenient, and only put you in with the white 300 lb lifers for you to be the bitch.

Advise taken thanks I see of my trainer will listen he's don't like being told much but I will try to talk to him and let y'all know what he say

has to be a joke. if not, your an idiot extraordinaire!!!

Watever I'm just tryn to learn guys guess I'm in the wrong place hoppin to get more infomation not just from one guy but I don't take to well to being namecalled so I just read from now on

Some of you guys on here are so jaded.  The guy seems like he really wants to learn and wants good advice and some you all get on here and bash him?  Smart guys, real f'n smart!  If you cant give some viable advice then wft are you even on here for?  Go back to your high horse and keep thinkin that your jonny know it all.  Or... take a step back and maybe just maybe you can remember all the way back to your training in becoming an operator and think about all the stuff that you questioned back then.  I understand if some want to critisize but cumon use this site for what its intended help not hate.

Show me a operator who hasn't done a stupid thing in his career and I'll show you a liar...
If someone should be bashed it is the trainer!
Give the kid some advice and tell him to get another job where people follow the rules.

jj707,

 I am not going to bash you for making this post. I am just a 10 year operator who has seen many pictures and videos of pumps and different machines caught up in powerlines. It isn't pretty what happens most of the times.

If the contractor is willing to pay extra money for you to get really close to a powerline, he probably knows the extremely high risk you are taking. I say this because he is basically offering you a bribe. By him offering you and the trainer extra money for yourself not the company is bribery. And if everything does happen to go wrong and people get hurt or even killed. I bet the contractor will deny everything about him paying you extra and put all the blame onto you.

So please take in some of this I have offered and remember you are not the only one who has a family to take care of and go home to everynight.

This whole thread is the most rediculous discussion I have ever read in my life. I really don't know what to say. I really don't. I guess I could talk about this or that and try to make some sort of point on something in the posts. but I can't. So far from smart it's not even worth or possible to respond to. Good luck is all I can come up with.

Allen i wasnt refering to, or in any way did i mean that it was rite to pratice the teachings of his instructor.  What i did refer to is the way that some want to come out and openly mock someone new to this biz so that they are so affraid of ridicule, That when the time comes that they do want advice they come on this foum and someone calls them "stupid or a "dumb ass".  Would you choose to come smewhere and ask for help if you were gonna be treated like a piece of dirt?  I think not.  Ive met you and also i have known greg numeier for along time and both of you are more knowledgeable than i could wish to be, but everytime i have spoken to either of you, you both have talked to me with alot of respect and though and for that a say thank you.  I just wish everyone on here spoke to others as they would want to be talked to. I do however think that his instructor shoud go back to school, i personally am not gonna throw stones at the new guy for wanting to learn.  It's just my way.  To each there own.

crazy talk. electricity is one thing you cant predict unless it has beeen shut off so keep the min distance by law of your country. everyone wants you to get home safe to your family

Here is a young guy trying to get some well informed information. Which he has but has any one told him why 17 ft is recomended. OK residencial power lines are covered you could probably could push them with your boom, But what if the coating has failed? High transmission lines are not covered and carry much higher voltage. So the 17 ft is recommended to keep everyone safe. with that said you can get much closer but when the voltage does jump to the boom it will take the 17 ft to get it to stop jumping. In that time anyone on the hose in the mud on the rebar is going to feel the affect. He doesn't need to be called name or be insulted he just needs to be informed. Travelteck that's one of the reasons you probably have your job is that you can convey things to operators to inform them and make them a better operator without slamming them or bashing. You are all right in saying never ever do it   

jj707. Its stories like this that get people killed.

He sounds now like he truly wants to do it right, If I could edit my post, rather that deleting it entirely, I would. He's now got the opportunity to uphold the standard. Is the trainer also the boss or owner?

The only problem I had with his post is the fact that he said he is not stupid and can see all the 17 foot stickers all over the place. New operator or not that alone should tell you not to do it whether your trainer said its ok or not. Manufacturers didn't just pull this number out of their ass nor did the ACPA. These distances were developed for a reason. My advice to him is to have a little chat with the trainer and ask himself if 500 dollars in his pocket is worth another mans or other mens lives. Do you want to lives with something like that on your conscience for the rest of your life. I know I wouldn't! Just be safe and do the right thing. I know money is tight but it is not worth the risk. You definitely can't feed your family from jail if you are round guilty of negligent homicide either! In this position I would either fix this by talking to my trainer or walk away and find a better company to work for because with unsafe practices like these that company won't be around much longer anyway! Have a nice day and be safe!

Really.. This is the most stupid thing I've ever heard. That trainer of your is retarded. I assume we are talking about propper power lines? Not the small ones that go in to houses. Those you can come quite close to. Anyway.. If a spark jumps over to your pump (asuming you will contiunue this suaside atempt) dont WALK but jump away from the area with both legs as close as possible together to avoid death. But find someone that has more that 1 braincell to explain why.  

Holy crap! 

"It says everywhere on the boom 17ft but do they REALLY mean 17ft or if you are a "good operator" you can get closer?"  This is what you are asking, right?

It says "don't stick your hand in the blender if it's on but what if you work with a blender every day?"

Some of us are being harsh but it's not just you we are angry at, it's all the idiots like your boss that make us put all these retarded Warning stickers all over the truck just to have you ignore them.

Well, at least take your video camera with ya to work.  If you're gonna get into some power lines(which you eventually will), at least we'll have a video to show others what NOT to do.

I wonder what the next DANGER sticker will say after this one...

Something like this...

jj, first of all welcome to the site. Glad you are here so you can learn what NOT to do. Coming from someone who has worked at a company that has had an operator energize his pump, you have no idea what consequences come from power lines until you see if first hand. You would be lucky if all you did was burn the tires off the pump & even the mixer truck that is backed up to you. Many years ago one of our operators sent the mixer driver to the hospital, blew out his stomach(he is now in a wheelchair for the rest of his life) & killed the hose man all because he was trying to "help" the contractor & got a little too close to power lines. The man was only 36, married, and had 2 small children. I only tell you this in hopes that next time your trainer tells you it is ok to get near the power lines, that this post will flash in your mind!! $250 bucks?? If that is the cost of your life, then so be it, but it's not fair to the innocent bystanders on the jobsite who are trusting you to know what the limits to your piece of equipment are. The contractors/workers may be upset at the time that you won't get near the power lines, but you & them will live to see another day. That's just my 2 cents, take it or leave it.

Just had to remember a job i had last year. We had a big poor inside a building (with hoses) I rigged up the pump in extreem fogg. Early so not really thinking much that day. After some hours I came outside again and the fogg had cleared. I was standing right underneath a major powerline. That was just so fkn lucky!! and scary.. You know.. The biggest danger when driving a pump is when you get to much routine. The day you think that its all so easy is the day you have to start worrying!!! (thats my advice ;-)

Jj707 Keep asking questions and talk to the MFG of whatever pump you are running, the rules are for the safety of the entire site, If your mentor is truly telling you this seek, other options, challenging the power lines is a serious risk you and the other personnel on site are taking, and they are trusting YOU to have their wellbeing in mind. Operating a concrete pump is a balancing act of diplomacy and safety coupled with the need to turn a profit. Please don’t take all the fear you have read in the posts as bashing, It has been beaten into most all our heads all of our careers, how bad this is, get on line and look up electrocution and see how bad it really is, burning truck is nothing…… The hose man will become your friend and he is now on fire and flopping on the ground, If I was the owner of the CO and I read your post I would have fired your mentor tonight. If this post is true. If not you all have found one of my nerve’s , I have seen and inspected booms and helped clean up after the fact. Cudos to all the guys that will stand for what is right. I would love nothing more than to never have to inspect an accident like this again. Take Care all of you and ASK the Question, It might save a life.

The 17 foot rule/"promise" is there for a lot of reasons.

There's a few feet in there for operator error, another few feet for equipment failure, then another few feet for the hot days when the lines sag enough to reach out and kill someone, then another few + feet for the wet & rainy days when it can and WILL arch just enough to blow your feet off! I got a friend who's missing some toes that never even touched the wires. On that soaked & soggy day the PoWeR reached out and touched him! NO $hit!!!

 This is NOT a lesson you want to learn the hard way. Even if you're not the one that gets bit, Seeing your hose man or a mixer driver locked to the ground with white fire blowing out of his eyes and mouth can make it kinda hard to sleep at night!!!

 The Fucked UP part is the hero that's preaching this shit to you isn't usually the one that gets to ride the lightening he's playing with. It'll end up being the last person that saw it coming or someone that didn't know any better...    that could be YOU!      

I once had a hose man feel some slight voltage and my boom was 47 feet from the lines. During high temperatures, you should always stay even further away than reccomended and it also depends on the amount of current flowing.

Well my trainer recommended to the owner that they let me go due to my concerns over the power line jobs, and now I am unemployed told them I wouldn't do it if I was operating and they let me go, being work is slow I think it was just an excuse .

I am sorry to hear that. That company does not sound like you want to be envolved with. If there pushing you to get that close they dont care about you or there customers at all. It's tough out there but your better off///

Now that you're laid off, RAT THEM OUT!! What is the company name that doesn't take the powerline issue seriously? Or send me a message from my profile, email me: pumpjock at gmail dot com

If they told you that it was due to your safety concerns, you have grounds to go after them.

Your are better of being unemployed mate! Sounds like some real natural born loosers there. Dont give up hope for concretepumping because this is not how it normaly goes. That compagnie is an exception.

jj if you enjoy the business and want to pursue, let me tell you it is a brotherhood, we've all met operators in state out of state doesn't matter, it's something that will go with you forever, but remember this, this business requires thick skin and the cojones to say no to propperly perform the job and when you learn them live by them it will save your ass over the long run, fire in the hole brother! good luk brother welcome to the select few that decide to make a living at this gig.