August 30, 2009 12:00am QUEENSLAND building sites face spot auditing to ensure safety practices are being adhered to after a string of construction-related injuries and deaths. Industrial Relations Minister Cameron Dick said that of particular concern were three deaths and at least six injuries in two years as a result of concrete pumping accidents. Those deaths included: • June, 2008: A worker was electrocuted when a concrete placement boom came into contact with power lines at Collinsville, northwest of Mackay. • June 2007: A worker was killed after an incident involving a concrete delivery hose in Proserpine. • November 2007: A worker was killed when a concrete boom collapsed at Mackay. Last year a Woolloongabba-based company was fined $20,000 by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland after an employee lost all the fingers on his left hand in a concrete pumping accident. "Due to the building boom in Queensland in recent times we've seen an increase in the number of concrete pumps in operation around the state as well as a decrease in the quality of concrete pumping equipment, and more injuries in the industry," Mr Dick told The Sunday Mail. "Concrete pumping is considered a high-risk industry due to the viscous and abrasive nature of concrete," he said. "There have also been a number of amputations relating to concrete delivery hoppers." Mr Dick said Workplace Health and Safety Queensland was launching a campaign to educate concrete pumpers of the dangers of the industry. "Soon, full-scale audits will be carried out to ensure that employees have been properly trained in concrete pumping and that equipment and plant meets industry standards and work practices are safe," he said. "Associated matters of traffic control, plant-cleaning practices, personal protective gear and plant registration will also be audited." With concrete pumping accidents on the rise, Builders Labourers Federation Queensland president and safety coordinator, Royce Kupsch, welcomed the move. Sarah Vogler http://wl.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25998042-3102,00.html

try educating the customers not to mess with an operator or making demands like we owe them something. if i fall down on site whos insurance do you think iam going to attach. 

Once the contractors have been educated and a good safety program implimented will we see change.This also goes towards the redi mix suppliers as well,they are at risk as well.

The best offence is a good defence.

damn eugene your comments never cease to amaze me ,what the hell does that have to do with anything ? if they think they owe you somethin, do you ? if not, I really wouldnt give a rats ass, I'd be smilin all the way to the bank.

jonno . I never like to hear about accidents . Could any of these accident have been avoided by proper operator training and boom inspectoins? most jobs I go on require you to go to saftey oriantation. also they require the operator to be certified on the piece of equipment he is running , ACPA card for pumps, and you also must have current MUST card and  produce a report of a valid equipment inspection. most contractors know about pumps but not all know about pump saftey.All pump operator should say if it not safe "i won't do it". and if the epuipment has safty issues dont operate it.

eugene. Iam not trying to bad mouth you or pick a fight. But it sounds like your attitude toward concrete pumping needs a little improvment.

not that this is a laughing matter, "Woolloongabba" thats funny.

Safety is an attitude not a training manual.

have you guys ever been harrased on a job where you have to stop work and ask who is paying the bill then get lied to by the home owner. are you expected to drive away unpaid with limited information on who is suppost to pay. happens all the time. when someone gets hurt is it instantly your fault. do you risk your equipment to do the job, no wonder booms get flipped on regular basis. you have a CDL to drive the truck maybe license to operate is in order to prove that you are worthy to be on the customers project, yea give them all a certificate of insurance in order to get paid. 

iam really amazed how california and some safety guy from australia have to make desisions that the pump business are not making. try this concept if every job site had a pre inspection / certifiaction to operate safe. if the customer had to provide the insurance for you to be on the site well do you think most of them would pay attention to making it a safe inviroment.

all i hear about booms is how big, how many trucks an hour you slam out and pictures of how you set up on the edge of stupid. working for line pump prices, wonder why there is problem.

Eugene .. I think you have missed the point of the post!

"On the edge of stupid" ?? The only pics i have seen on this site like that are pics to show people what not to do!

Chill out mate..........

eugene. how to get paid , cdl's, certifications , boom inspectoion reports , boom size , yards per hour, line pumps, isn't the point of this post. I think the point of this post is the question of accidents with all PUMPS and how to avoid them here in the U.S. and other countries. My earlier post just states what is reqiured on jobs that I go on. accident's happen every day in the concrete pumping industry for all differant reasons .

...He never been accused of being a point catcher.

WOOSH! there went another one!

Hey dlee7729 I don’t like to hear about accidents anymore than any of us do. This was just a article in the paper and this is the only information I have on the accidents. I don’t know any of the circumstances behind them, so don’t know if they could have been prevented. It’s pretty much the same here, most jobs we go on you have to have your OHS Certification to operate the boom and a blue card (course in general safety induction) and the equipment inspections. ShortStik…"Woolloongabba"…… is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 1km south of the Brisbane CBD. Experts are divided regarding the Aboriginal meaning of the name, preferring either 'whirling waters' (woolloon and capemm) or 'fight talk place' (woolloon and gabba).[3] The locals refer to it as The Gabba. eugene ??????????????????????? Drew AUS…. chuck us another stubby….. I need to chill out to.