Concrete placing boom training guide
Concrete placing boom training teaches operators to set up static and truck-mounted booms safely, control the pour, manage the hose and exclusion zone, and deal with blockages and emergencies. It takes one to three days depending on experience and is aimed at pump crews, civils teams and high-rise pour gangs.
Logan Plant Training delivers it on your own site. Candidates should be 18 or over, and prior plant or pump-crew experience is preferred. The course draws on LOLER 1998, PUWER 1998 and NPORS and CITB guidance.
Key points
- One to three days depending on experience.
- Outriggers must be fully deployed or capacity is unknown.
- Nobody stands in the discharge area during a stoppage.
- Blockages are cleared by procedure, never by hammering.
- The line is flushed when a pour stops.
Set-up and ground checks
A placing boom is only as stable as its outriggers and the ground beneath them. Candidates learn to assess the ground, place pads correctly and deploy outriggers fully. Part-deploying them because a kerb is in the way is a common shortcut, and it leaves the boom's safe capacity unknown.
Truck-mounted set-up on a tight street or kerb gets particular attention, because that is where the temptation to cut corners is strongest.
Controlling the pour
Once set up, the operator controls the boom while the pour gang handles the hose. Candidates practise smooth boom movement, pour sequencing and communication with the gang, and learn why the exclusion zone matters when concrete is moving under pressure.
- Daily inspection of the boom, pipework and couplings
- Outrigger deployment and pad placement
- Clear signals between operator and hose handler
- Holding the exclusion zone during the pour
- Flushing and cleaning down at the end
Blockages and emergencies
Blockages are where serious injuries happen. The course teaches the controlled discharge procedure and why a hose handler must never stand in the discharge area during a stoppage. Hammering on a blocked line is exactly the wrong response.
Stopping a pour without flushing the line is another risk, because the next start can become a pressure event. Candidates practise the right sequence so it becomes routine.
Who needs this training
Anyone operating a placing boom, whether on a high-rise job where the boom is the only practical way to place concrete or on a civils site, should be trained and assessed. Supervisors who plan pours benefit from understanding the set-up and exclusion requirements too.
Refresher training is worth booking on a regular cycle, and after a blockage incident, a near miss or a move to a different boom or truck. Keep each operator's certificate, the boom's inspection and thorough examination records, and the employer's written authorisation together, so a principal contractor can check them quickly before the first pour on a new job.
Planning a pour with the boom in mind
A safe pour starts before the pump arrives. Supervisors should confirm access for the truck, ground conditions where the outriggers will sit, overhead obstructions such as power lines, and the reach needed to cover the whole pour area. Getting this wrong forces improvisation on the day, which is when shortcuts happen.
Communication is the next piece. The operator, the hose handler and the pour gang need agreed signals and one person calling the moves. Radios help on large or high-rise pours where the operator cannot see the hose end.
Finally, plan the finish. Washing out, flushing the line and folding the boom are part of the job, not an afterthought, and they need time and a safe area. The course covers each step so the whole pour, from set-up to pack-up, is controlled.
Frequently asked questions
How long is concrete placing boom training?
One to three days depending on the operator's experience.
Does it cover truck-mounted booms?
Yes. Both static and truck-mounted booms are covered.
What experience do I need?
Candidates should be 18 or over, and prior plant or pump-crew experience is preferred.
Can training run on our site?
Yes. Logan Plant Training delivers on your own site.
Need this training arranged?
Tell us the machines and the number of operators. Chris will call back with straight advice and a firm price.