ACPA and ASCC Partner for Coworker Safety

In an exciting new venture, the ACPA and American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC), are joining efforts to fill a gap in safety training on job sites. A new safety curriculum, developed by a joint committee of ACPA and ASCC members, will educate hose handlers and other coworkers on the concrete job site on the safe practices related to working with or around the concrete pump.

“Safety is a primary mission for both the ACPA and ASCC, and we are thrilled to announce our partnership in developing this training program,” says Christi Collins, ACPA executive director. “Coworker Safety Training will meet one of the most important safety concerns on concrete job sites today and will protect workers from accidents and harm.”

Finishing crews and hose handlers — who are in one of the most dangerous positions around the concrete pump — are often uneducated about safety practices related to working with or around concrete pumps. Many known and unknown factors can lead to accidents and injuries on a job site, such as a plug or separation of material in the pipeline.

“Many times, end users of concrete pumps come to job sites sight unseen with no previous experience, knowledge or training with a concrete pump,” says Greg Key, national safety director for Western Concrete Pumping. Key serves on the joint committee to develop the Coworker Safety Training curriculum. “Coworker training has been needed in our industry for some time, and we’re excited to see the support it’s received from the ASCC and others in the industry.”

The program will consist of eight segments of online learning, designed to capture the learner’s attention with short-span videos and follow-up quizzes. The curriculum will require approximately one hour of the participant’s time and covers a broad range of topics. Topics are focused on two sections: one for concrete hosemen, covering placing operations; and a second for concrete pump operation, including setup, supply and more.

“One of our goals at the ASCC is to ensure our members are the safest concrete contractors in the industry,” says Joe Whiteman, director of safety services for ASCC. “We recognize there’s a big hazard with handling the hose and working around a concrete pump and wholeheartedly agree that a learning tool is needed to address the issue.”

Currently, more than 56,000 concrete contractors in the U.S. could benefit from coworker safety training.