scary

That is the problem within the industry, everybody can run a pump without any kind of training or certification. I saw it many times, someone got up that morning and decided to run a pump. If you want to operate a crane, you have to get certified, and what is coming is that you will need to be certified to operate a certain size crane. This is what the industry needs, that weeds out people that are not qualified to run a pump, of course there is disadvantages with this system, always revolving  around who is paying for all of that. 

To put a newbee with a guy just because he speaks their language sounds to me like an accident waiting to happen. How is he supposed to communicate on the jobsite?

Sounds to me like you have to teach common sence first. Thats hard to teach after the age of 15, They are already set in their ways. 

#1. Keep all your safty equipment working properly. Im sure you already know this.

#2 Never lose your patience, Never show your ass. Its extremely hard to get A teacher - student relationship back after that. Trust me I know. I ran the largest truckdriver training program at any Vocational school, In the entire United States.

#3 Be firm, But be polite. Keep your foot up his ass all day long, Nit pick at him, But make him smile while your doing it. Thats the fun part of being A trainer.

#4 Dont make him smile too much. Then it turns into A joke an he wont learn. He wont take you seriously.

#5 Never except A thank you untill he has been out on his own for A while. A thank you during training or right after, Dosent mean much. Its the Thank you that comes, Maybe years later, That will bring A tear to your eye. Thats the one that tells you,,, You done A good job training.

#6 If all the above fails,,,,, Have him wash the hopper before prime out. He might fall in an you can pump him out with your crete. Just tell the company that he didnt want to work an disappeared on the job. If they dont believe you,,, Tell them to contact me. I'll give you moral support !!!  Good luck !!

someone who love's holding grease gun 

i get 3-4 (discontinuous) weeks of training (work on RM Truck same time and when it was not that busy they send me to learn pumping). not long after they send me to a job 50 km long from plant and with a ferryboat, right after that job direct to a second job another 70 km ooooo i foget to mention i was -17 C all the way and i had concret in my hopper. gues what: concrete didn\t come through pipes . spend that night washing and remove 80 % of the pipes. next day i had to put them back. but i manage to pass 6 monts and i did enjoy pumping

SO IF IS A GOOD MAN HE WILl GO OVER IT AND LEARN TO DO THINGS RIGHT

was not first job alone but i was a  (very) newbee at that point, did not know much, and i did not ask  either an older pump operator. finish first job (much acceleraton on concret) and it was 50cm snow had no place to empty hopper. same thing on second job much snow, very coollllldddd, did not empty concrete and i think it was forzen or it did get frost  on the line.

but as a say : i did get over it and now i enjoy pumping

Show him this video. This guy got caught in a hopper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIeSWv17XvY

Thanks Todd.

Thanks Dipstick, Thanks Todd. This posting was on my mind all day. In my comment above, #6 was ment to be A joke only. I hope that I have not offended anyone. I didnt know anything like the video could happen. I never clean the hopper out untill the boom is set down an the remote shut off an put away. Then I control the pump with A box located at the rear of the deck. All crew members know that if they would try to turn anything on by touching my truck, They would not have A job. If they need water, They ask. When I clean the hopper, The grate is up an everything stops except for the water hose. I lean in under the grate to clean the rock valve an the bottom of the hopper. If the grate would fall, It will not turn anything on untill it is about an inch from being all the way down. Safety switch works great. All this left me with A question, Why would anybody by pass the safety switch? Whats the advantage?  

Hey Willie60 you are welcome, you are not alone, we are all in this together. That is one of the reasons i love this web site so much.

I think the best training you can get is to start off on a line pump learning how to prime, find plugs, clean the truck out. It will also either make or break you if you can't handle the workload.

After learning the basics, I think its important to start off on a small pump such as a 28 meter and stay on the same truck for an extensive amount of time. No pump jumping.....

I firmly believe that if you stay on the same pump, you will get to know the truck inside and out, and will be familiar with that machine and also become safer because of that fact. Pump Jumping is a common occurance though that I think makes you look kind of foolish though, because you have to re-learn every truck you are on

Thanks. Now I understand.

Dipstick, I knew your were different than others. You just pimp yourself out all over town, Now dont Ya !!!! LOL

The American Concrete Pumping Association (ACPA) offers a 23 day training course that can be purchased on-line at www.acpa.com.  Look under the "On-Line Store" or "Safety/Training" tabs for free and purchased materials available.  There are manuals, CD/DVD's available in english and spanish languages.    The training program was developed by experienced industry proffessionals and is a 23 Day program, which will guide you towards through training your new operators.  Your trainee will learn safe concrete pumping skills and practices, whereupon successful completion of the program your trainee will be designated a trained proffessional in the field of concrete pumping.  You can also download and print  several PDF files advising on various safety measures, precautions and practices such as Concrete 101, Concrete Burns, Hose Whipping, Setting Outriggers, and other typical do's and don'ts.  These guides and safety bulletins are a great place to start training your new pumper.   Good Luck!  

Correction that is www.concretepumpers.com for the American Concrete Pumping Association not www.acpa.com as I previously wrote, my bad!  There is good informaiton available, obviously there is nothing like on line expereince and a good trainer, I suggesteds these materials as a supplement and guide.  The Safety Bulletins are a good reference and could be posted as well for your other operators to view.    

you got to be KIDDING me.... wow well i must say i can prob go on for hours about the right way of doing things but sounds like ya got ya hands full dipstick sorry to see ya got a dumb ass working with ya shows ya how going to school dont help no body i mean no body iv trained many people in my short time of pumping but i learned from the best and we all do this or that to make it much more faster but safty is the FRIST thing to come to all of our minds and that new guy just dont have it in em lol hope all is well bub and happy holidays