Concrete in pump pipelines is often under considerable pressure, so that the safety of site staff must be considered. The pump should be stopped, and if possible reversed, while pipes are being disconnected. Flexible end sections of pipes may move violently when a cleaning plug is passed through and operatives should be kept well clear. Falsework should be designed to accommodate the vibration and additional loading caused by pipelines resting on it.

For the safe use of pumps, Good Practice Guide – Safe Use of Concrete Pumps (2013) can be downloaded free of charge from the CPA website at www.cpa.uk.net. Also see BS 8476:2007 Code of practice for the safe use of concrete pumps.