National Asphalt Pavement Association Endorses Transportation Project Safety Certification Program
(WASHINGTON) – The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) today endorsed the Safety Certification for Transportation Project Professionals™ (SCTPP) program and plans to urge its member firms and their employees to earn the credential beginning this year.
Launched in late 2016 and administered by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF), the SCTTP’s vision is to “ensure the safety and well-being of construction workers, motorists, truck drivers, pedestrians and cyclists and their families by making transportation project sites world-wide zero safety incident zones.”
As part of a strategic partnership, ARTBA and NAPA will jointly develop and implement online asphalt paving-/milling-specific safety training modules that industry professionals can use to prepare for the certification exam or to earn Professional Development Hours and build their skill sets. NAPA will also help recruit asphalt paving/milling professionals to join the SCTPP “Subject Matter Experts” team that plays a critical role in developing exam questions.
“We are excited to partner with ARTBA to develop and promote training tools that will aid companies in implementing best practices proven to help eliminate work zone incidents,” said NAPA President Mike Acott. “Because of the unique nature of asphalt road construction work, there was a clear need for asphalt paving-/milling-specific modules within the SCTPP. We look forward to working with ARTBA and our nationally recognized experts to create the modules needed to address safe work zone and asphalt road construction practices.”
“The goal with the certification program is to help cause a demonstrable reduction in the number of deaths and injuries that occur on and around transportation project sites each year,” ARTBA President Pete Ruane said. “Our partnership with NAPA moves us closer toward that goal because it allows us to reach a wider audience of key decision makers who are in the position to improve jobsite safety.”
The SCTPP program is aimed at the thousands of transportation project workers, supervisors, foremen, inspectors, managers, manufacturers and materials suppliers, designers, equipment operators and owners who could make a huge, industry-wide safety impact by learning core competencies necessary to identify and mitigate potentially life-threatening on-site risks.
The two-and-a-half hour exam contains up to 120 multiple-choice questions that probe knowledge in: assessing project risks; creating project safety plans; implementing and conducting on-going evaluation of a site-specific operational safety plan; and conducting incident investigations. It’s designed to meet the rigorous protocols required for accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Organization for Standardization ISO/IEC 17024: “Conformity Assessment: “General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification of Persons.”
An independent, nine-member Certification Commission established the program’s governing and operational policies, and provides on-going oversight. It is co-chaired by national safety advocates, David Walls, president & CEO of Austin Industries, based in Dallas, Texas; and Ross Myers, chairman & CEO of Allan Myers, based in Worcester, Pennsylvania. Top leaders from the transportation project planning, design and materials sectors, government, organized labor, and the trucking and insurance industries also serve as commissioners.
Additional information about the certification program can be found on its comprehensive website: www.puttingsafetyfirst.org.
The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) is the only trade association that exclusively represents the interests of the asphalt producer/contractor on the national level with Congress, government agencies, and other national trade and business organizations. NAPA supports an active research program designed to improve the quality of asphalt pavements and paving techniques used in the construction of roads, streets, highways, parking lots, airports, and environmental and recreational facilities. The association provides technical, educational, and marketing materials and information to its members; supplies product information to users and specifiers of paving materials; and conducts training courses. The association, which counts more than 1,100 companies as members, was founded in 1955.
Since 1985, the ARTBA-TDF, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity, has worked to “promote research, education and public awareness” about the impacts of transportation investment. The Foundation supports an array of initiatives, including educational scholarships, awards, professional development academies, roadway work zone safety and training programs, special economic reports and an exhibition on transportation at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
