Truck-mounted concrete boom maintenance

WorkSafe ACT inspectors have observed several incidents involving truck-mounted mobile concrete placing booms including hydraulic line failures, as well as pipeline and coupling failures, resulting in the uncontrolled release of concrete under pressure.

Concrete pumping equipment operates under high pressure and is subject to constant mechanical stress during use. Without appropriate inspection and maintenance, this equipment may deteriorate, increasing the risk of structural or mechanical failure and posing serious risks to workers and others in the vicinity.

WorkSafe ACT reminds persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) involved in the operation of truck-mounted mobile concrete placing booms of their obligations to ensure that regular maintenance and inspection programs are implemented to minimise risks to health and safety.

ADVICE

PCBUs must ensure that concrete placing booms are maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions to prevent failure of critical components. Due to the pulsating nature of concrete pumping operations, equipment is particularly susceptible to fatigue cracking, wear, and corrosion from water ingress.

To support the safe operation of concrete placing equipment, PCBUs should implement appropriate inspection and preventative maintenance programs. These programs should take into account the manufacturer’s specifications, the equipment’s working environment, and its frequency of use.

Maintenance and inspection should include the following measures:

  • Establish a planned maintenance program in accordance with manufacturer recommendations.
  • Conduct regular inspections at intervals specified by the manufacturer.
  • Implement a program of monthly inspections to identify wear, damage, or the need for preventative maintenance.
  • Ensure inspection results are recorded in the appropriate logbook, with a copy retained on the unit.

All concrete placing equipment should also undergo periodic inspection by a competent person:

  • At intervals specified by the manufacturer, or
  • At least annually where no interval is specified.

Where manufacturer guidance is not available, inspection frequency should be determined based on actual hours of use (as recorded by the operating-hours meter), with increased inspection frequency as the equipment ages.

Periodic safety inspections should include a comprehensive assessment of:

  • The boom and associated mechanical components
  • Hydraulic systems
  • Delivery pipelines and couplings
  • Structural elements and support systems
  • Outriggers (where fitted)

PCBUs must ensure that risks to health and safety are eliminated so far as is reasonably practicable. Where elimination is not reasonably practicable, risks must be minimised through appropriate control measures, including effective maintenance and inspection regimes.

Records of all tests, inspections, maintenance, commissioning, decommissioning, dismantling, and alterations must be kept for registered concrete placing booms and made available for examination when required.

These records must be retained for the duration of the equipment’s use or until control of the equipment is transferred to another person.

FURTHER INFORMATION

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