Concrete pump guide

The British Concrete Pumping Specialist Interest Group in conjunction with the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) have published a Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Concrete Pumps.
CPA safety manager Haydn Steele said it will raise onsite awareness among contractors that do not fully understand concrete pumping and raise onsite safety standards.
"The Health & Safety Executive is very supportive of this document and said it forms the minimum standard it would expect to be adopted," Steele said.
The code outlines the standard of safety a concrete pump should be operated to by the owner and/or the hirer, by covering training issues, onsite operations, correct maintenance, examination of booms and all relevant documentation that should be available for inspection.
Concrete pump hirers involved in drafting the document included Pochin, Camfaud and Raynesway. Putzmeister and Schwing represented the manufacturers.
Steele said the CPA has distributed the code to its members, who in turn have passed it on to their clients, including contractors and builders.
Pochin Plant director David Pichin said: "It is hoped this standard will follow the lead set by the crane hire industry. I would like it to be adopted as a British Standard."