The Concrete Pump Manufacturers Association (CPMA) has standardized two warning labels dealing with the hazard to the placing crew of the release of trapped air from the concrete hose during pumping (commonly referred to as ‘hose whipping’).

The labels are intended to educate the drivers of ready&mixed concrete trucks about the severity of the hazard of air in the concrete system, how to avoid the hazard, and how to minimize the hazard to the placing crew if air is accidentally taken into the concrete pump. The labels will appear near the hopper on concrete pumps manufactured by CPMA members.

In addition, the artwork for the labels, shown below, is available on the CPMA website (www.cpmass.org) for interested parties to download and use at safety meetings, to make their own labels, or for any other safety&related reason. The artwork is available as English/French, and as English/Spanish. The CPMA reserves the copyright for the artwork and text; if you plan on using it for non&safety related uses, please contact the CPMA for specific permission.

We encourage you to disseminate this information to ready&mixed concrete truck drivers, placing crew personnel, and any contractor using pumps to place concrete. It is the intention of the CPMA to reduce the number of incidences of placing crew personnel becoming injured by hose whippings; please contact us if you have any other suggestions for disseminating this information. Further information regarding hose whipping is available from the American Concrete Pumping Association (ACPA) at their website, www.concretepumpers.com.