Concrete pump operation on residential sites in Australia

What it is

A concrete pump on a residential site is plant under the WHS Regulations. That covers truck mounted boom pumps, trailer mounted line pumps and the placing booms that sit on top of larger boom pumps. Pouring a slab, a suspended deck or a pool shell often needs a pump because the truck cannot reach. The PCBU running the site, the pumping contractor and the concrete supplier all carry duties to manage the risks of the plant during the pour.

Who can operate the pump

A boom type elevating work platform of 11 metres or more needs a high risk work licence. A concrete boom pump itself does not have a national high risk work licence class, but the operator must be trained and competent under the model WHS Regulations. The Concrete Pumping Association of Australia issues an industry recognised competency assessment that most builders and pumping companies ask for. State regulators reinforce that competency requirement through their concrete pumping guidance.

The pump operator and the line hand

A typical residential pour runs with the pump operator at the truck and a line hand at the discharge end. The line hand whips the hose, controls placement and gives signals back to the operator. The operator must keep clear sight of the line hand or, where that is not possible, use a spotter who can see both. The operator stays in control of the equipment at all times so the pump can be stopped immediately if there is a blockage, leak or burst.

AS 2550.15 and plant duties

AS 2550.15 sets the in-service safe use requirements for concrete placing equipment. It covers daily pre-start checks, periodic inspection intervals, hose and pipe pressure testing, accumulator checks and the testing of safety devices. Part 4.5 of the model WHS Regulations places the legal duty on the PCBU with management or control of the plant to manage risks across the life of that plant, from delivery to dismantle.

Hose burst and pipe testing

Pipe and hose failures cause some of the most severe injuries in concrete pumping. The hardened concrete inside the line, the high pressure behind it and the steel couplings turn a burst pipe into a projectile. WorkSafe Queensland requires delivery pipes to be tested at frequencies set out in AS 2550.15 and the test results recorded. A residential builder taking a pump on site should ask for the most recent pipe test record before the pour starts.

Remote stop devices

The remote stop is the single most important control on a concrete pump. AS 2550.15 and state guidance require that opening the grate at the hopper or activating the emergency stop, including the remote stop carried by the line hand, brings the dangerous moving parts to a stop and dumps accumulator pressure. The line hand should carry the remote on a lanyard at all times during the pour. If the remote is left in the truck or the line hand is out of range, the pour stops until the device is back in service.

Daily pre-start checks

A daily pre-start covers hopper grate interlock, emergency stops at the truck and remote, hose whip checks, outrigger pad condition, hydraulic hose condition and the boom slew limits. The operator signs the pre-start record and the builder keeps a copy with the pour records.

Set up on a residential block

Boom pump set up on a tight residential block is where most incidents start. Outrigger loads can exceed 20 tonnes per pad. The driveway, kerb and nature strip rarely take that load without bog mats or steel plates. The operator must check for overhead power lines, with no go zones starting at 3 metres for low voltage lines under the no go zone framework most states publish. Underground services need to be located before the outriggers go out.

Concrete supplier and pumping contractor coordination

The pumping contractor sets the boom position, the concrete supplier feeds the truck and the builder controls the pour rate at the discharge end. All three are PCBUs. They consult, cooperate and coordinate so that the pour does not back up at the hopper, the boom is not overloaded and the line hand is not left holding a whipping hose because the supplier truck pulled away early.

Records to keep

For each residential pour the builder should keep the operator competency record, the pump pre-start, the latest pipe and hose test records, the SWMS for the pump operation and the pre-pour briefing notes. Safe Work Australia and SafeWork NSW both list concrete placing equipment among the plant types regulators routinely inspect on residential sites.