To all concrete pump operators,

I would like some feed back on how many times the pump operator, meaning you has been left to clean dirty hoses that have been thrown off the building. I have a big issuse with a employer about a injury.

The bottom line is how many times have you been left alone to clean systems, carry hoses to a water source, people on the job site and no help at the end of the pour?

If you could responed here or at concrete461@yahoo.com

it would be very helpful to me.   Thanks

many many many times 2 300 ft 5 inch no help.

Well thats part of the job and its not a big deal to clean hoses if you know how. But throwing them off a building? Thats a new way to make a unsafety jobsite.

Thats what i call longlife learning. Always when you think you know something a guy comes up and writes down another nice message. Throwing hoses off a building. Wow

i did not throw them off the building, i had to pick them up and clean them and got hurt in the process. my point is nobody saw it. i been doing this for 30 years and havent been hurt, just a freak accident now the employer is saying no you were aready hurt. right can bearly get out of bed now with a pinched nerve

Shit happens you are 49 years old no more 29 with respect but i think its normal that a body ath that age is going down in its capacity thats normal i think and this kind of injury can happen to everyone. What was it pipes or hoses?

hoses, accidents happen

our policy is for the operator to shut the pump off in the middle of the pour to clean the hoses as they take them off. this way the customer has one of his guys do it so the pump stays on.

one day many years ago about 19 to be specific I was sent around the rear of a winn-dixie supermarket to washout a whiteman spade valve linepump I grabbed the y and set it on the hopper grating reached down to grab a clamp and the y fell and split my head open luckily I didnt get knocked out but it did require 18 stitches,I learned my lesson at a very young age about being left on a job alone or washing out in a place isolated from others washing out or cleaning and gathering system should always be a 2 man job

Pugd

I agree with you.Someone should stick around.Even if he does not help.Just to be there if something goes wrong.

Ruck

thensplash is right, i ask the man in charge to see that the hoses are wash out. if he fights u just remind him u brought clean hose and they meed to be wash out before they dry. i always say if there to busy! i will shut the pump off to do it. like most of u i had my share of dirty hose that had to be clean with a hammer. keep in mind thats big jobs. if it was a small one i would clean them.

thensplash and rich r rite i always shut the pump off if i have to to make sure my system gets cleaned laborers come out the woodwork when u shut the pumpoff

I cleaned the hoses in the spare time while waiting the mixertruck for me its a team job if you got a line job you make it easy for the guy at the hose and they take the hose to your truck where you can easily wash the hose in 3-4 min.

whenever we're done with the hoses, if the contractor wont clean them i just shut the pump off and start to go to clean them and 99 percent of the time the contractor will stop me and ask hey where ya goin? and i reply toclean the hoses cause if they bake in the sun there harder to clean. usually they will stop me and send someone to do this  and then i will resume pumping 

May be better preparation in helping the concreters on site would be beneficial to you.

Perhaps getting a HP washer, a hard 1 oversize sponge, a solid, medium to hard gasket and good clip and water supply. This way you can push each hose empty using only one of their men.

or

Use a small portable 16 cfm compressor and a soft sponge that is the exact fit to your hose and blow each one off.

all you need is four drain rods with a 4in rubber plunger pull that though and its clean, bucket and brush to clean pipe collars

Like your method will give that a go.

kiwi Not following on that?

Reply to rick5z. I would not never clean a other guy a hose of mine you never know how this guy is bullshitin around and after you need to check each hose because if you dont do it on the job you can have more plugged hoses than hair on your head.

Where I live and pump at we clean our on hose most of the time we want take any apart until done pumping, then I wast out the hopper then  put a wad of wet news paper in and hook the line by up and fill my hopper with water and pump til the paper comes out the end hose, then we roll each hose to clean out the fines, sometimes though if we have to remove a hose while pumping, it gets rolled a couple of times, then pulled to my pump trailer and gets washed out, I can't count on the guys I'm pumping for to help one bit, I have a helper that goes on every job, I'm 60 years old and its a lot safer. 

 finisher4700  

Here's how I clean out hoses when I'm on upper decks.  I don't want to wait 3 hrs until the jobs over to clean my gear.  So, with a 5 gallon bucket of water and a brush, I can clean 30+ hoses.  Take a piece of 2-3' rod or rebar and weld a washer to the end of it.  At the point where the washer is attached, tie a rope - make it however long your hose is that your cleaning.  On the other end of the rope, poke it through a sponge ball--and tie a not or put a washer on the backside of the sponge so you don't pull the rope through the sponge.  Now you can send the piece of rebar through the hose, the weight of the bar and the inertia of your push will get it to the other end.  pull the sponge up to the hose and help it in the end. Now you can pull the rope and the sponge will clean the hose perfectly.  The brush and water is for the hose ends.  The process takes less than a minute.  Now I can put the hoses aside and not worry about the contractor flying them to the ground for me to wash.

Here's a really crude drawing of my set-up--

Is that a red headed sperm dragging a needle around or vice versa? That kids gonna be a good line pumper!

im with kiwi, drain rods and a rubber disc, simple and easy to store.

crete

drain rods are one meter long, screw together makes four meters with a 4in rubber plunger and pull that though the pipe they are clean for next time can be left there until you are ready to load truck no rushing around trying to wash dirty pipes, as you get paid by the hour you can then take your time and stack them right on truck, then things wont be falling off as you drive back to yard

I would like some feed back on how many times the pump operator, meaning you has been left to clean dirty hoses

More times than I wish to count.When on a deck it's somewhat easier but I have been caught by supprise but usually have a grip on it.The classic is a line pour and all that dead line,very common in the old days.Today I think most have evolved enough about common curtesy to somehow lend a hand.

The short story

I was on a Job and was setting up 300 feet of 5 inch by myself---It was pitch black out finishers were late, concrete was an hr early and super was going nuts. Walking across the deck with a pipe on my right shoulder. Fell in the elevator shaft, ripped my arm almost completely off at the shoulder. Had 6 operations and was out 5 years. Was fired when I was released to go back to work. Was with the Company 13yrs. In short wait for help, you are only one man not a miracle worker.

try this ask for a guy up front if they say yes and you have a guy cleaning hoses as you go or if you dont and you see them get piled up turn the pump off and start washing them out when they get caught up and wonder where you are and find you cleaning hoses and they have to wait they will get someone on that REAL QUICK your hoses can make or break a job clean as a whisle goes smooth as silk. Dirty and full of concrete ...... well we all knows what happens then

 Hey Kiwi and Murf, It sounds like you guys are talking about a giant gun cleaning rod???

 A chiminey sweep works great also, the brushes come in different sizes and the rods are five feet long and screw together. Thw big brush works great for scrubb'n out your S tube.

 Try this,  When the first piece of hose is removed Pump off and go wash it up. As soon as they figure out that the pour will take twice as long at this rate they will assign a laborer to the task. If they dont, explain to them that you could be written up or fired for not keeping your equipment clean! 

Too tall- they are the same as chimney rods, can get them from any hardware/ruin it yourself shop. They normally come in a pack of 10 with a load of accesories but its just the rubber disc you need. Cost is about £15 ($20) Works a treat!