Were talking about this today with some colleagues...

http://www.bordermail.com.au/news/local/news/general/tributes-for-friend-with-heart-of-gold/1694962.aspx

And as a side note the "S" valve! In Australia, because RH drive trucks, Mixer drivers stand right over the S valve bend where their controls are positioned...How equally dangerours is that!

“But the thing that misses you or just nearly gets you is the thing that will kill you in ever-so-slightly different circumstances.”

Good post and find Pumpbo,it is too bad this preventable accident happened. My sympothies go out to his family.

If you are going to use metal ended tip hoses, please clear the area of your co-workers and friends before pumping.

"Mr Laracy died at Wangaratta Base Hospital after being struck in the head by an attachment on a concrete pump hose.

That link is not working.

Does for me,must be your puter.Good story with a tradgic ending.When will people learn?

Tributes for friend with ‘heart of gold’
VICTORIA MACDONALD
03 Dec, 2009 01:00 AM
GRIEF-stricken friends and loved ones have posted tributes to Barnawartha Football Club player Simon Laracy online.

The 24-year-old, nicknamed “Lara” by friends on social networking site Facebook, was killed in a workplace accident near Rutherglen on Tuesday.

Comments began flooding Mr Laracy’s personal Facebook wall and a page created by a friend — titled “In Memory Of Simon Laracy — Rest In Peace!” — hours after his death.

“All I can see is your infectious smile. When ever you walked into a room, you brightened it up ... A beautiful person, Taken way too soon. RIP Lara,” a friend wrote.

“RIP Simon you will be missed by all, I was lucky to have known such a kind-hearted person. My thoughts and prays for your family and loved ones,” another woman wrote.

“Barnawartha will miss him!” wrote a third.

Others referred to Mr Laracy’s “heart of gold”.

As friends offered their condolences to the Laracy family, it’s understood the parents of Mr Laracy’s girlfriend travelled to Geelong, where she’d been working, to collect her.

Mr Laracy died at Wangaratta Base Hospital after being struck in the head by an attachment on a concrete pump hose.

WorkSafe Victoria spokesman Michael Birt said the impact of his death, which was under investigation by the safety watchdog, served as a lesson.

“You’ve got to understand what the hazards are associated with (a piece of machinery) and understand that when things do go wrong, that they can happen very quickly and unexpectedly,” Mr Birt said.

“That’s always the lesson out of these things: the way you try and remember these people is to try and not get into that situation yourself.”

Mr Birt said in recent weeks, a Melbourne accident similar to Mr Laracy’s had left a man injured after a piece of concrete flew out of a hose and struck him.

That man had since recovered but Mr Birt said Mr Laracy’s death showed how serious such hazards could be.

“Often people know that there’s a danger there but it hasn’t actually hurt anyone ... so it just gets written off as ‘gee, that was close’,” he said.

“But the thing that misses you or just nearly gets you is the thing that will kill you in ever-so-slightly different circumstances.”

Hey PUMBO,

Here's a picture of a "transition cover" which was developed by and required on all BBCP pump trucks, from the smallest line pump up to our stationary hi-rise pumps. Unfortunately, I have seen one of these put to the test on more than 1 occasion. One day while pumping a deck on the 35-38th floor (I can't remember...) of a building, I blew the 6 to 5 reducer on a BP 8000. The transition cover deflected all of the slurry directly downward into the Eco-pan, away from the mixer drivers. If you note, the cover is designed to fit loosly around the rear end, enabling it to deflect any slurry, aggregate or debris away from anyone standing close to the pump. These are a real asset to safe pumping...

 Here is the info concerning the transition covers developed by Brundage-Bone Concrete Pumping...

Chris Perlatti

Seattle Tarp     

18449 Cascade Ave S
Seattle, WA 98188
(206) 285-2819

www.seattletarp.com

http://www.seattletarp.com/Concretetransitioncovers.asp

Big T