On March 21, 2019, the ACPA’s two-year exemption from the federal Hours of Service (HOS) requirement that commercial drivers take a 30-minute off-duty break after eight hours of work expired. ACPA applied for a five-year renewal of its exemption from the 30-minute break requirement in September 2018. However, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) incorrectly assumed that concrete pumpers did not need the 30-minute break exception after FMCSA granted ACPA a two-hour extension to the HOS short- haul exemption* in November 2018.
The American Concrete Pumping Association is proud to announce the latest in the association’s lineup of safety resources—the new Proper Driving Techniques video. In the video, the ACPA addresses the number-one safety hazard for concrete pumpers. The video is available in both English and Spanish language versions and addresses safety practices proven to help pumpers avoid driving accidents—the most common types of accidents involving concrete pumps. Produced in conjunction with Nations Builders Insurance Services Inc.
Your association has been working towards improving and elevating the ACPA Operator Certification Program for over two years now. In July of 2017, we held a Safety Summit in which ACPA members gathered to discuss a vision for the future of ACPA safety training and certification. Since this time, there have been many meetings and discussions to get our wide-ranging membership to agree on the direction we should take with the program. Some favor a live training format, others prefer online and still others envision a third-party-accredited safety/training and certification program. Although the general consensus did finally concede that our industry is not quite ready for such stringent requirements as third-party testing and practical assessments, the mandate to “step up our game” is clear.
This past April 9th and 10th, a delegation of ACPA members traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the 2019 Cement and Concrete Fly-In sponsored by the Portland Cement Association (PCA). In all, there were over 140 attendees representing various sectors of the concrete industry who participated in the opportunity to discuss key issues that impact the concrete and cement industries with many top federal officials and congressional offices.
We will soon be including an "On the Job" page in the Concrete Pumping Magazine featuring photos you submit of your concrete pumps in action on jobsites!
