In Queensland, the Concrete Pumping Code of Practice 2019 provides practical guidance for safely carrying out construction work involving concrete pumps and delivery lines. It covers planning, pump set-up, operating risks, pipelines, hose whip, ground stability, powerlines, cleaning, maintenance and worker competency.
Information current: 6 August 2026. Local requirements vary across Australia. Check the current material published by your WHS or OHS regulator before work starts. A national Model Code, where relevant to another topic or jurisdiction, provides general orientation and is not automatically applicable law.
Main concrete pumping hazards
Concrete pumping combines powered plant, pressurised concrete, moving vehicles and workers operating close to pipes, hoses and the pour area. Conditions can also change quickly during a pour.
Common hazards include:
- burst, damaged, poorly restrained or incompatible pipelines and couplings
- hose whip caused by air entering the delivery line
- blockages, pressure build-up and unsafe attempts to clear a line
- boom contact with powerlines, cranes, structures or other plant
- overturning caused by weak, wet, sloping or previously disturbed ground
- workers being struck by moving trucks, booms, hoses or escaping concrete
- falls, trips and hazardous manual handling while moving delivery hoses
- exposure to wet concrete, noise, fumes and cleaning residue
- uncontrolled pump washout or concrete entering stormwater systems.
A rising pressure reading, leaking pipe joint, unusual pipeline movement or visible damage should be treated as a warning that pumping conditions may no longer be safe.
What should be sorted before pumping starts?
Planning should involve the principal contractor or site controller, the concrete pumping business, the concrete supplier and relevant workers. Responsibilities must be clear before the pump arrives or is set up.
The pre-start discussion should address:
- the pour sequence, required delivery rate and whether the mix is pumpable
- the correct pump, boom, pipeline and hose arrangement for the job
- pump position, truck access, reversing movements and traffic controls
- ground conditions, outrigger locations, supporting pads and nearby excavations
- overhead and underground services, including powerlines
- exclusion zones and safe positions for operators, line hands and truck drivers
- communication methods and who can stop pumping in an emergency
- wind, lighting, access, edge protection and changing site conditions
- line cleaning, blockage response, washout and waste collection
- current manuals, maintenance records, logbooks and pre-operational inspections.
The plan should be reviewed if the pump location, equipment, mix, weather, work sequence or surrounding site activity changes.
What good controls and documents usually cover
Good controls start with suitable equipment and a stable set-up. Pipelines, clamps, gaskets, restraints and hoses should be compatible, correctly installed, within specification and checked for damage or excessive wear. Outriggers need adequate support, and the operating area should keep unauthorised people clear.
Operators and workers need suitable information, training, instruction and supervision. They should understand the plant, emergency shutdown arrangements, communication signals, exclusion zones and procedures for starting, stopping, cleaning and responding to a blockage.
Depending on the job, site documentation commonly includes:
- a site-specific risk assessment or concrete pumping plan
- a pour plan and equipment set-up details
- a SWMS where high risk construction work is involved
- traffic and delivery arrangements
- emergency and communication procedures
- plant inspection, maintenance and defect records
- worker consultation, induction, training and competency records.
When does a SWMS commonly apply?
Concrete pumping does not create the same SWMS requirement on every job. However, it may form part of high risk construction work as defined by the applicable regulations. When it does, a SWMS must be prepared before that work starts.
The SWMS should describe the relevant high risk work, associated hazards and risks, the controls to be used, and how those controls will be implemented, monitored and reviewed. It should be developed with the workers carrying out the work and reflect the actual site, plant and work method.
Other site-specific planning may still be appropriate where a SWMS is not triggered.
Practical warning signs
Pause and reassess the work when:
- the pump is being positioned without confirmed ground or service information
- outriggers, pads, hoses, clamps or restraints do not match the planned set-up
- workers cannot clearly communicate with the operator
- trucks are reversing through an uncontrolled work area
- pressure rises unexpectedly, joints leak or pipelines move abnormally
- air may have entered the delivery line
- a blockage is being attacked by repeatedly increasing pressure
- weather, access or surrounding plant movements differ from the plan.
How Blue Safe can help
Blue Safe provides compliant WHS documents tailored to the client's activities, applicable Australian WHS/OHS requirements, jurisdiction and industry. Blue Safe guarantees the document compliance of the WHS documents it provides, including eligible customer documents after Blue Safe has reviewed and upgraded them.
For concrete pumping activities, this can include tailored SWMS, risk assessments, procedures, pre-start forms, inspection records and supporting WHS documentation. Customers actively put the compliant documents into practice through controls, consultation, training, actions, records and evidence.