American Concrete Pumping Association Unveils Job Site Safety Campaign at World Of Concrete
Español | Translation Provided by the CFA
This week at World of Concrete, the concrete industry’s largest annual gathering, the American Concrete Pumping Association (ACPA) launched a major safety campaign to bring heightened awareness to ASME B30.27, the Safety Standard for Material Placement Systems.
The campaign highlights the responsibilities of each trade working with or around a concrete pump under the standard. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to keep every person on a job site safe.
“The ACPA saw an industry need to ensure that everyone on the job site has a clear understanding of their responsibilities under the ASME B30.27 standard,” said Christi Collins, executive director for the ACPA and member of the ACPA Job Site Safety Committee. “Our goal for this campaign is to encourage partnering across all the trades because, when we all work together, we create a safer environment for everyone.”
The cornerstone of the campaign is a new microsite—WeAreSaferTogether.org—which provides and promotes valuable information to all who work with or around concrete pump equipment. The microsite serves as an educational resource to familiarize all parties with the standard and provides videos, downloadable flyers, lists of job site responsibilities by trade, FAQs, and much more.
What Is ASME B30.27?
The B30.27 standard is intended to prevent or minimize injury to workers and otherwise provide for the protection of life, limb, and property by prescribing safety requirements. It provides direction to manufacturers, owners, employers, users, and others concerned with or responsible for its application, and it guides governments and other regulatory bodies in the development, promulgation, and enforcement of appropriate safety directives.
Since its first publication in 2005, the standard has gone through several reviews (every five years), with revisions, including the addition of a competency requirement, the definition of “signalperson,” and job site responsibilities. While the most recent version of the standard, published in 2020, includes some revisions and redesignations, there were no changes made to the job site responsibilities established in the 2014 version.
“By raising awareness and providing valuable resources, this campaign will help construction trades prevent accidents, protect their workers, and partner together to heighten safety awareness for everyone on a job site,” said Tabah Nez, safety director for the ACPA. “We are most efficient when everyone is armed with knowledge and then gets involved in the planning process.”
2023 and Beyond
Today is just the beginning for this campaign. Throughout 2023 and beyond, the ACPA will continue to expand the campaign’s impact by inviting associations and organizations across all trades to join in and support this important effort. In addition, the microsite will be regularly updated to provide content and resources that will educate, encourage, and empower those on job sites to do their part to keep everyone safe.
“The success of the campaign is dependent on the collaboration of many,” Christi Collins said. “We are thankful for the industry leaders, including the American Society of Concrete Contractors, Concrete Foundations Association, and Tilt-Up Concrete Association, who have stepped up to support this campaign. Together, we will raise awareness and help create a safer work environment for everyone.”
To learn more about the campaign and access a press kit,
please visit WeAreSaferTogether.org.
About the ACPA
The ACPA is a nonprofit association that serves as an advocate for the concrete pumping industry committed to promotion, education, and safety for its members and all those coming into contact with a concrete pump on the construction job site. For more information about the ACPA, visit www.concretepumpers.com.
The Concrete Foundation’s Association is a supporting association for the WeAreSaferTogether.org campaign. A large majority of our association members are owners/operators of concrete pumps and, over the years, significant incidents have occurred within the membership where better awareness, education, and preparedness could have impacted outcomes—some of which have been tragic and some nearly so. During #CFACon23 in San Antonio (July 27–29), attendees will participate in a discussion setting to learn more about this campaign and hear from relevant personal stories. Attendees who participate in small groups will be invited to share their own experiences and best practices. The session will wrap up with a large group Q&A, which will be facilitated by leaders from the ACPA.
One of the strongest components of the new campaign found on the WeAreSaferTogether.org website is the individual trade and co-worker operation studies. Specific information from the ASME B30.27 regulation is available in various categories for the concrete foundations industry—you can find information for pump owners, pump operators, placing crews, and more.
Placing crew responsibilities include:
- Remain beyond the reach of the discharge hose(s) until directed otherwise by the material placement system operator.
- Wear PPE to protect against injury caused by material hazards.
- Comply with the responsibilities and assigned duties; and avoid associated hazards.
Only through 100% compliance and attention can this industry truly achieve the goal of being completely safer together—a goal about which ACPA safety director Nez was quoted at #WOC2023 as saying, “One injury with a pump is too many.”
