I will not stand IN the pour unless I have to,what are your opinions on where an operator should be when making a pour?

Wherever he's got the best visual on whats going on.

I agree with TooTall, some times depending on the pour I like to be near the hose man. I hate it when they are yelling or whistling at you especially whe you are right there so I usually like to be close to him, althoough if there are alot of possible obstructions, I like to stand back to where I can get the best angle on both the hoseman and possible obstruction

Many say on the pump,works great if you can see the pour.If an elevated deck there are little options,a great reason for oilers.I have always stood at the handrails where I could see both the pour and pump.In these cases if there was blind spots I would always have to move around.A little "indian trick" I used was wrap the discharge hose with duct tape at hose mans head level (hose at desired level".This was a safety net for my benifit in case things got crowded.

In cases like these the contractor usually had a man backing in trucks.I would give him the safety basic's and what to look for.It wasn't a stead fast solution but all help is appreciated.

i am always next to the hoseman im blind as a bat

Hey bri,mee too!!!.If I ran a boom as long as that one i'd invest in a good pair of binoculars (I did).

I like to stand where I can see the hose guy but also far enough away that I'm outside the splatter zone and can't hear the finishers whine.  Some days are better than others.

im w/ raymond on this 1

I am with Raymond on this too.

  Anyone still run a black and white on cable?

I prefer to stay between the pump and the hose man , i like to hear the machine , on multi level pours though i stay at the pump or very close by using radio coms (good quality only not the cheap stuff) .I used to go up and stand at the hand rail untill the day i got sprayed with oil at 3 levels up , we were pumping a 3rd level deck it was about 4am it was dark and i thought it was the best place to stand i had a birds eye veiw on the machine and a perfect view on the hose man , i looked down at the pump then bang the steel fitting on the end of the ram exploed.. hehee run forset run!!! by the time i got to the machine shut it off and dropped the accumulator pressure id lost about 50 gal of oil. We got the job done but the way i see it is that if i was at the machine or close by i could have done a lot more to lessen the impact , the cleanup was a nightmare!!

I dont run a black and white cable anymore but i do have some customers who own and run them still and they still love the them. they also like the ease of repair on them  which is sometimes better for them then me  lol.

if i can i like to stay on the truck so i can hear and feel the machine.

always next to the hose man, i can anticipate where he wants to go next and talk to him directly. i also try to stand close as I have horrible depth perception!! (good quality for a pumper!) I have the digital readout on my schwing control box and listen to the truck to keep tabs on whats going on. Also for a saftey note I want to see the mud coming out of the hose. Sometimes a fin sluff from a mixer will not completely plug but reduce the flow and build pumping pressures until it blows out. I usually run a 4" tip hose and 3" on residential and footings.

for deck pours i stay on the ground until i got mud through the boom and then i go upstairs.  while pouring i'll stay with the hose man at least till he gets my routine.  i played alot of sports growing up so one thing i learned that helps me with pumping is to keep my head on a swivel.  eyes on the hose for a few seconds, the boom and any obstructions for a few seconds, back to the hose, then check the outriggers a few seconds  etc....

brisley57-"Anyone still run a black and white on cable?" Yep :)

I like stand'n back by the hopper on the opposite side of the pour peeking under the chute once in a while to see whats going on. This way there's no interupting my conversation with the mixer driver?

if it is pouring rain in the cab of the truck would be good if your linehand didnt get the craps when he relises that he is geting wet and you arnt! hahahahaha

Thanks  Leroy .... I just learned not to sip coffee while reading your posts....fortunately, I was able to direct the spray to the floor and not my lap-top...

I run a 88' Schwing 32m R&F black and white electric over hydrulic with a 2 sec. delay between remote and actual boom movement so I try to stay close to the hose man to keep the lanes of communication clear !!

always in a safe place remember wans in a wille a deck collaps under the precsure of the concrete make sure youre not on that deck!!!!!!!

The operator that was just hurt here in Hotlanta was right next to the hoseman.

First - think of your own safety.

all these guys by the hose whos watching whats going in the hopper ? no one if it goes through the grate its gonna get in your pipe, i do not stand by the hoseman i am not a finisher my responsibility is the pump i worked for a guy that if he caught you off your pump while pumping he wasnt a happy camper and it makes sense if your on the truck you feel everything the stability of your outriggers the pressures pumping and yes you see what is getting put in your hopper the only reason to be off 1. you cant see 2.elevated deck 3. big booms depth perception is a bitch with long booms plus alot of companies supply a helper oiler on trucks 52 or bigger our jobs require us to be where we can see but still the best place to be is on are close to your pump