Concrete Pipe Plants, Companies Honored by ACPA for Safety

Irving, TX, January 23, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Ensuring the highest level of workplace safety is a fundamental operating principle for America’s concrete pipe industry. In recognition of the overriding importance of this issue, the American Concrete Pipe Association (ACPA) has established its prestigious Chairman’s Safety Awards to recognize individual plants and/or companies that have implemented successful safety initiatives resulting in a safer and more productive workplace. This is the 12th year of the awards program.

The ACPA recognized the safest of the safe during a special awards luncheon and ceremony at its annual Pipe School held in Indianapolis last week.

The 2012 Chairman’s Safety Award Overall Winner is Rinker Materials-Concrete Pipe Division CEMEX in Diamond, Ohio, which earned the distinction for its development of innovative lifting devices for lifting headers. The plant received a $1,000 check to be distributed to key employees, along with a large trophy that it may keep on-site until next year’s winner is announced.

Other Chairman’s Safety Award winners were Rinker Materials-Concrete Pipe Division CEMEX in Houston, for its Power of Observation program (Company-wide, First Place); and Hanson Pipe & Precast’s plant in Pelham, Alabama, for its lightweight removable fall protection pole (Equipment-Related category, First Place).

“This year’s winners and finalists raised the bar for innovation in workplace safety,” said Vince Bussio, ACPA Chairman of the Board, and President of Geneva Pipe Company. “We saw a wide range of creative approaches to enhancing safety, from specially designed platform scaffolding to improved pouring forms and catwalks. Individually, they are very impressive. Collectively, they represent a significant advance in our industry’s already-exemplary approach to workplace safety.”

“Every executive and plant manager in the concrete pipe industry understands the vital importance of keeping their workers safe on the job,” said Matt Childs, ACPA President. “These award-winning companies, and the talented professionals that work in their plants, represent the cream of the crop. We are very proud of their outstanding achievements and we hold them up as examples for others to emulate.”

Also during the Pipe School, the ACPA recognized the first winners of its P3 Awards, which recognize successful completion of its Professional Pipe Promotion online training course. The P3 program offers advanced training in both the technical and sales and marketing attributes of reinforced concrete pipe (RCP), equipping participants with the tools and information necessary to provide a consistent message to customers, specifiers and rule-makers. By completing the various P3 training modules, pipe professionals can achieve a “Pipe Pro” and/or “RCP Master” level of knowledge.

This year’s P3 Awards were presented to ACPA President Matt Childs, Agustin Barajas of Rialto Concrete Products and Stewart Trotten of Strescon Limited.

For more information on safety in the concrete pipe industry, visit www.concrete-pipe.org.

About the ACPA
Established in 1907, the American Concrete Pipe Association serves as the voice of the concrete pipe industry. The ACPA is a nonprofit organization comprised of manufacturers of concrete pipe and box culverts, manufacturers of equipment and providers of products and services related to the concrete pipe industry. Member companies are located throughout the United States, Canada and more than 40 foreign countries. The Association provides its members with a wide range of research, technical and marketing support to promote and advance the use of concrete pipe for drainage and pollution control applications.