Hose whipping is a danger faced by concrete pump operators. It occurs when air is compressed and then set free within the delivery system. Hose whipping, as the name suggests, involves the delivery system whipping around and creating a potentially hazardous situation.

Concrete Pump Truck

For hose whipping to occur:

• Air must get into the system that carries the concrete;
• Air must be being pushed through the system; and,
• The air has to be compressed due to a constraint near the hose.

Air can enter the system via a number of ways:

• When there’s no concrete in the delivery system, it’s full of air.
• Air enters via the hopper. This can happen when the pump is started or when the pump is kept going despite it being empty. Stiff concrete also means that air can enter the system as well.
• Air enters through the tip hose. This occurs when the pump is used in reverse or an obstruction is removed.
• Air enters the pipeline’s interior as opposed to the ends. This can occur because the pump is used in reverse or has a hole in the pipe. It can also occur when the pipeline is pulled apart and then put back together throughout its operation.

Avoiding The Dangers

Because of the nature of trapped air, workers usually don’t know when it will happen. The best way of avoiding hose whipping injuries is to know under what conditions it’s mostly likely to occur.

The CPMA (Concrete Pump Manufacturers Association) has implemented standardized warning labels in relation to the issue of hose whipping. This is to inform operators about the dangers and to avoid or lessen the problem if it happens. If the concrete pump is produced by a CPMA member, the label sits near the hopper.

Hose whipping is a serious issue for operators and related personnel working with concrete pump trucks. For safety and quality, Cole & Lambert is your number one seller of concrete pump trucks. For superior equipment, with experienced concrete pumping service talk to the team at Cole & Lambert.