Best Practice for Safe Deliveries to Site
Allied Concrete wish to assist and support customers in preparing a safe site for all employees or the public when accepting the delivery of products or services from any supplier.
Please read on for specific information relating to concrete deliveries and safety around our trucks.
To download a PDF version of this article.
Safe Site Delivery
Allied Concrete is committed to providing a safe working environment for all Allied Concrete employees, contractors and contractor’s employees, along with ensuring the safety of customers, visitors and the public.
Allied Concrete expects that the owner or principal contractor of the delivery site will provide a safe working environment.
The following are general requirements on site to help ensure a safe working environment:
Safe Site Access & Traffic Control
- A safe and legal entry and exit to the site.
- A spotter to assist in conditions involving low light, low clearance, obstacles, tight access and vehicle traffic, especially where these are used by pedestrians.
- If the unloading process will interfere with pedestrian or road traffic, traffic control must be performed by trained personnel, with an approved traffic management plan.
- A safe route to the unloading point (including adequate signage).
- A stable ground surface: un-compacted fill can present a rollover/tip over hazard.
- Rain on a clay surface can create slippery conditions.
- A delivery point clear of any building materials or debris.
- In cases of road side delivery, a safe area that enables vehicles to pull off the road that does not breach traffic regulations.
- Adequate clearances for vehicles from power lines.
- Ensure power lines or power boxes are identified and
- No overhanging structures, including trees.
- Appropriate environmental controls at road side delivery points (e.g. protection of waterways).
- Appropriate controls to prevent trucks taking mud from sites onto surrounding roads.
- Use of standard hand signals to direct vehicles. (Allied Concrete can supply standard hand signal cards)
Environment
- Safe, level and contained areas for concrete truck wash down.
- Delivery times to prevent noise nuisance to neighbours of the site.
- Appropriate environmental controls at road side delivery points (e.g. prevention of concrete products washing into waterways).
Concrete Pumps
- All safety features fitted and used, including grates in place, earth straps used, safety chains on discharge elbow, etc.
- All safety features are fitted and used on concrete skips.
- A spotter to assist in reversing onto a pump or skip.
- Where two trucks are required, adequate (600mm minimum) between the trucks and other stationary objects.
- Maintain a full hopper on the pump to avoid blow back due to air locks.
- The pump hopper should be at a height that allows gravity flow of concrete into the hopper.
- It is requested that the pump is set up on site so that concrete trucks do not have to breach traffic regulations to reverse up to the hopper.
- A safe set-up is shown below:
Concrete Pump Safety
- Allied Concrete will not accept concrete “pumped back” in to trucks by any concrete pump or the use of air pressure to clean lines This is due to the high risk of injury and explosive force due to air pressure.
- Concrete returned by “pumping back” may only occur following a full risk mitigation proposal and written authorization is received from Allied Concrete.
Safe Work Practices and Equipment
- Any unsafe work practices performed by an Allied Concrete representative or unsafe equipment should be reported to an Allied Concrete representative.
Product Safety Information
- Information including Safety Data Sheets (SDS) can be obtained from your local Allied Concrete Branch or by contacting your sales representative.
- Customers need to ensure that all personnel who will handle Allied Concrete products are aware of our production information and SDS.
Electricity
- No Equipment should be operated within 4 METRES from live overhead powerlines / conductors.
- Working inside of this range is only allowed by permit of the local power authority, all equipment should be earthed and a spotter in place.
Additions to Load (colour, etc.)
- If bagged products (e.g. colour, silica fume etc.) are required to be added to a load – only full bags of the dissolvable type can be used.
- No bagged or liquid products are to be added to a load on a customer site unless an adequate stand approved by Allied Concrete personnel is provided for access to the rear of the concrete drum.
- Allied Concrete drivers are not permitted to add water beyond that required to provide designed slump, water in excess of this will void any product warranties.
General
- No additional chutes can be added to Allied Concrete trucks (only those supplied on truck – e. no 5th chute).
- Trucks maneuvering on site with extended chutes must be assisted by a spotter.
- Customers, contractors and subcontractors must not climb on the agitator or use the agitator ladder.