so you go out to do a job and the customer says WELL THE LAST GUY SAT RIGHT HERE just because someone else did it dose'nt mean it was wright or even safe for that mater.if it was an easy setup why is that guy not here,he di it and did'nt like and knew that he should not have done it and then you show up to do it and tell the customer NO it's not safe and they don't understand,but when all is said and done you used your brain and everyone went home without injury.

when all is said and done you used your brain and everyone went home without injury.

Now THAT is a good pour!

I find it very frustrating when such a situation arises with operators who've been running a boom longer then myself.  Im always stuck in wheather i go straight to the operator in quection or talk to my dispatch.  I hate going over an operators head, but i am an operator, and what i say is just an opinion and not company policy.

in four years i have refused to setup for three jobs.  one power line, one bad ground; another pump and operator were brought in and did the job.  and one 7% grade diffrence which the operator set-up the pour 3 days before.  each one the super and foreman in my face yelling, each one my dispatched back me without seeing the job/setup.  no contracts were lots.  the next pour had to add 80' of 4" hose but so be it.

We all have differing levels of ability, caution, confidence and experience.

Any operator that is not comfortable making a pour should not make that pour. At the same time, if possible, he should watch another operator that does feel confident making that pour. At the end of the day both operators will have learned something.

THE LAST GUY DID IT I freaken hear that to much!!!!!!! You operate thr machine and are in charge of everyones lofe on the job so far as I am concerned you are the super as soon as u pull up--

I guess the next question is...How to deal with the operator that did do the job before you and was he aware of the dangers or just ignorant. He probably impressed himself by doing a job that no one else would have done (like an idiot). Its one thing when someone does'nt know any better, they can learn. The guys that do this Knowing its wrong, they're baad apples!

Friday Last week, One of our customers asked if I could look at this wall he " had to get done Friday" ( called at 8am for a 2pm pour).

I drove to the site..... entrance was the width of the p/u truck...TREES completely around the property and a low voltage line going acroos the front of the property. After speaking to the forman, I called the owner back and told him the news. " The only way it can be done is using a line pump or Big boom over the trees. His response was "but I was told If a boom truck can fit, you can fit." His boom truck is a compact Hiab fully telescopic. Needless to say I told him If you don't trust my Judgement you are more than welcome to call the competition just down the road.

We are pouring it Monday with the big pump over the trees.

Any time Operators have a question with a set-up, I get them to take pictures send them from there phone and This way if I see the site is unsafe It is not reflected on them and not taken out on them. But my last statement is always " It is your call, I will back your decision."

I encourage customers to get us to look at "unique" sites before we pour. I travel alot now, but I sleep every night knowing I'm not risking lives taking shortcuts.

  I think you made the right decision. The best thing you did was not second guess your better judgement! Luckily it was you, a qualified, experienced operator and not a rookie that did'nt know any better. Just think if a less experienced operator would have been there? He may have tried and failed because of a piss poor example set by a bad apple trying to be the hero! Not only did the previous operator put himself and others in danger by doing the job in the first place. He has put every operator that goes to that job in a bad situation and has made the customer believe that what he did was acceptable. Now he's made everyone look bad except himself!  HERO's = ZERO's and baad apples are the first ones to fall!  

Another fact that still catchs me by suprise is that the super/foreman tell an operator to do an un-safe set-up.  there are more then enough times when the super says "the last guy did it in a 40!!  your only a 42!!".  so i call up the last guy.  "No man, i had to set-up back there and put on hose. Is he trying to set you up on the corner of the bank?"

there are not very many supers whos words i take at face value.  through my eyes they look like sales man (no offence intended) on a constrution site.  fast takin, my site, my money, my completion bonus... 

a quick call can save a long investigation,  and problems at the shop.

Just Because we carry Liability Insurance doesn't mean we want to use it!!!!

Damn! That sent a shiver down the spine before I even seen the whole pic! Its like seeing a sin. But I'm glad such things have that effect. Fear is good, Being Deathly afraid is even better!

No doubt, If that was your pump your day would be pretty much over.

One of our sharper members said; If you do it anyway and screw it up you are STILL going to loose the future work.