Emergency Procedures, Incident Response and Shutdown
Emergency scenarios
Boom operators must be prepared for: hydraulic failure, boom collapse, pipeline blockage and sudden pressure release, electrocution from powerline contact, tip-over, fire, and personnel injury. Know the emergency stop location and how to isolate power and pressure. For powerline contact, the operator should stay in the cab unless there is fire, and if evacuation is necessary, jump clear and shuffle away - never touch the machine and ground simultaneously.
Incident response
On any incident: stop work, make the area safe, provide first aid and call emergency services, isolate and tag the equipment, preserve the scene, and report to the PCBU and regulator as required. Notifiable incidents include death, serious injury or illness, and dangerous incidents such as boom collapse or plant contact with energised lines. Do not resume until the cause is investigated and controls are verified.
Shutdown procedure
At the end of the pour, position the boom in the stowed configuration per the manual, depressurise the pipeline, clean the pipeline and hopper safely, retract outriggers only when stable, secure the machine, and complete the post-operational check and log.
Traps in exam questions
Questions often test whether the operator should attempt to free a blockage by hammering the pipe under pressure - never; depressurise first. Another trap is resuming work after an incident without investigation. Also, notifiable incident reporting timelines vary by jurisdiction - know your local requirement.
Rule of thumb
"Stop, secure, report, investigate - in that order."