Rush of applications continues following expiry of provisional certificates offered by WorkSafeBC
The BC Construction Safety Alliance’s (BCCSA) Certified Concrete Pump Operator (CCPO) program continues to work overtime to process certification requests from a growing number of applicants who are eager to be certified to remain compliant with WorkSafeBC regulations. The good news is that the program is accommodating the recent robust industry response on an accelerated schedule, with certification requests expected to normalize by mid-2025.
WorkSafeBC implemented the regulation requiring all concrete pump operators to be certified on December 1, 2021, but extended a two-year grace period before enforcement would begin.
Certification through the CCPO program requires applicants to pass both a written and practical exam. The written portion of the certification is completed online and can accommodate a large number of applicants, while the practical exam is limited to the real-time availability of assessors and concrete pumping equipment on an active jobsite. That has left a gap between the many applicants who completed the written portion of the exam, but are still waiting to complete the practical portion.
In response, WorkSafeBC extended provisional certificates for concrete pump operators who had passed the written exam, but were waiting for practical assessment. The provisional certificates were valid first until July 1 and then to November 1, 2024. To be compliant now, concrete pump operators must be fully CCPO certified or work under the supervision of someone who is.
The BCCSA designed the CCPO program around data gathered over the past five years to determine expected response, with a capability to ramp up or scale down as needed. How many concrete pump operators work in British Columbia, and how many more will seek to be certified?
“This remains the great unknown,” says Ammar Kavazovic, director, programs and initiatives with the BCCSA. “There is no operator registry and companies that run pumps are not necessarily classified as such by WorkSafeBC. It’s also possible that these companies have not reached out to engage with our program.”
CCPO currently employs six practical skills assessors, and engages a subject matter expert committee of five to 10 people who oversee practical exams. While the early “normal” assessment schedule processed two to three assessments per week, recent throughput has ramped up to two assessments per day, seven days per week.
“Our practical assessors completed 41 assessments in October and 43 in November,” Kavazovic says.
Based on research on the number of pumps in circulation collected from suppliers and manufacturers, data obtained from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia on registered pump trucks, and anecdotal figures from industry members, the BCCSA is confident that the majority of operators in the province have now been identified and certified.
“To date, CCPO has processed 1,132 written exams and 700 practical exams,” says Mike McKenna, executive director of the BCCSA. “We see CCPO as the little engine that could. It’s a robust program that has punched way above its weight in the number of certifications it’s completed over the short term.”
WorkSafeBC is now inspecting workplaces to determine that operators are compliant with the CCPO program. However, McKenna notes that the construction industry can also do its part to promote concrete pump safety.
“As a prime contractor, you can make sure that concrete pump operators on your site are in compliance with the regulation,” he says. “If you rent concrete pumps, make sure that the intended operator is certified. If you own a concrete pump ask all operators to show you their CCPO certificates. Professionalizing the careers of concrete pump operators is good for everyone and insisting that operators be certified will make that happen much sooner.”
To register for CCPO certification, click here.
This content is an Industry Special by BCCSA in collaboration with ConstructConnect™ Media. To learn more about BCCSA, visit www.bccsa.ca.
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