Concrete Pump Hand Signals: The Operator's Field Guide

Site noise + line-of-sight gaps mean hand signals are how the crew communicates on a live pour.

The ten core signals:

1. Start pumping — closed fist, thumb extended, small circles.
2. Stop pumping — flat open hand, palm out, held still (universal stop).
3. Slow down — palm flat, facing down, lowered slowly.
4. Speed up — palm flat, facing up, raised slowly.
5. Reverse (suck back) — index finger, small backward circles.
6. Boom up — thumb up, arm overhead.
7. Boom down — thumb down, arm below.
8. Boom left / right — arm extended in desired direction.
9. Fold / pack up — arms crossed in an X.
10. Washout — circular scrubbing motion at chest height.

Rules: one signaller only (usually the placer); operator must see the signaller (stop & reset if line-of-sight lost); never signal from behind the pump. Emergency stop: both hands up, palms out, overhead = stop everything (blowout, rupture, fall, electrical contact). Agi-driver signals: keep coming (come-here wave), stop (flat palm), cut left/right (point), straighten up (palms apart), that'll do (chop at neck). When signals fail: stop the pump, walk over, talk it out. New pumpys: learn the 10 before day one, use big slow signals, never turn your back to the operator.