ACPA Updates

ACPA Updates: ACPA University, Coworker Safety Training, #WeAreSaferTogether Safety Campaign

The American Concrete Pumping Association (ACPA) has been making great strides in building a more educated, safer workforce, not only for pumpers but also for the contractors and others who work with and around concrete pumps. We are pleased to provide the following updates that promise to enhance the industry’s level of training and safety in 2024.

What’s Debuting: ACPA University (Online Learning Platform)

ACPA is closing in on a launch date for ACPA University, an online learning management system that will offer members and others access to industry-leading education. The platform, which has been in development since around early 2023, will provide skills training, virtual reality solutions, e-learning and more. According to ACPA executive director Christi Collins, the learning hub will be unveiled early January 2024.

“We can’t wait to present this educational platform to our members. It consolidates our learning resources into one platform and under one dashboard, enhancing efficiency for both our members and ACPA staff,” says Collins. “Additionally, the platform will introduce an ACPA operator onboarding course, which will be of significant value to our members.”

Member companies will have access to ACPA-authored content, as well as more than 2,000 course titles within several off-the-shelf libraries. They will be able to create individualized learning paths for their employees, with each employee’s progression greatly simplified and highly visible to key leadership. Bringing education and training offerings into one online system will improve the administration and management of training content and training and certification records.

User benefits include the ability to take operator certification examinations online rather than written exams, allowing for immediate score results and eliminating the need for manual grading. Plus, the online platform allows members to perform paperless field evaluations via tablet and submit documentation from anywhere.

With ACPA University, ACPA members will have access to learning management software that would cost tens of thousands of dollars if purchased individually. Sharing the cost as an association greatly reduces the price for platform users.

What’s Next: Pump Safety Training for Coworkers

Finishing crews and hose handlers are in some of the most dangerous positions around the concrete pump, yet they have often been uneducated about safety practices related to working with or around 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.

To fill these gaps in safety training on job sites, ACPA has been collaborating

with the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) to develop the Coworker Safety Training program. We are pleased to announce the program is on schedule to launch by Spring 2024.

“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 and co-chair of the joint ACPA/ASCC committee to develop the Coworker Safety Training curriculum.

Crafted by both ACPA and ASCC members, Coworker Safety Training aims to teach hose handlers and coworkers safe practices when working near concrete pumps. The curriculum will include five online learning modules with short-span videos and follow-up quizzes designed to capture the learner’s attention. It will require approximately one hour of the participant’s time and cover topics including hose whipping, setup, on-the-job procedures, delivery systems and hazards.

Once launched, Coworker Safety Training will be integrated into the ACPA University platform. An estimated 56,000-plus U.S. concrete contractors can benefit from this training platform.

Job Site Safety Campaign Toolkit

In January 2023, ACPA launched the WeAreSaferTogether.org safety campaign and microsite at World of Concrete in Las Vegas. This campaign is a call to action, urging collaboration across all trades to amplify the importance of complying with job site responsibilities under ASME B30.27 — Material Placement Systems so we can elevate the safety of every person on a concrete pumping job site.

Since then, a growing list of supporters has joined the campaign’s Coalition of Industry Partners, including the American Society of Concrete Contractors, Concrete Foundations Association and Tilt-Up Concrete Association. Concrete Pumping’s Fall 2023 Issue, which focused on safety, was distributed to members of these associations to introduce them to the campaign.

Additionally, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) is working with the B30.27 committee to refine job site responsibility language for liquid structural material suppliers and drivers. Once these minor language updates are approved, ACPA eagerly anticipates NRMCA’s full support of the standard and the safety campaign.

ACPA is gearing up for extensive grassroots promotion in 2024. We now have available an online toolkit for ACPA and Coalition members to help spread the message and foster a culture of safety. Toolkit materials include logos to add to websites, suggested social media messaging and graphics, downloadable and printable flyers, a “boilerplate” article template for internal and external communications and an email signature button. Hard hat stickers and decals will be delivered by mail.

Organizations and contractors interested in championing this cause can visit WeAreSaferTogether.org/join. Let’s collectively elevate the industry’s safety standards!