History of WMACSA
The subway construction project in Washington, DC broke ground in 1969. Safety on this project had to meet the standards that were in effect in the District of Columbia. The DC Construction Standards had been amended in 1967 with the coming of the subway in mind. The Washington Metro Transit Authority (WMATA) reviewed the amended code and took due notice that each general contractor was required to assign a person to make at least one daily inspection of the work site. Such inspections had to be recorded, dated and signed on a form issued by the DC Industrial Safety Division. The inspection forms had to be available for review by the Industrial Safety Division.

WMATA designed a safety program that qualified the safety professional hired by contractors. As the contracts were let, safety persons were hired and came from all parts of the country. These construction experienced workers had only the local chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) as means of communicating with the other professionals in the field. The ASSE membership was not construction oriented. These new safety persons had no other organization to meet their needs.

Fred Foote, newly hired, started the process of creating a safety organization where persons with the responsibility for preventing injuries and accidents on construction projects could meet and discuss mutual problems. Mr. Foote invited seven persons to a meeting at a small bar on the 2400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. The meeting was an opportunity to do some good as well as get a good feeling with the help of the bartender.

That night the Washington Metropolitan Construction Safety Association (WMACSA) was founded. Fred Foote was its first president. The year was 1972. WMACSA was registered as a non-profit corporation in the District of Columbia in 1975.

WMACSA from 1972 to date held their montly meetings at several different locations; we started out at Cannon's Steakhouse on 5th & Florida Avenue, NE, DC, then to Twin Bridges Hotel in Arlington, VA, VFW Post 9850 on Good Luck Road in Lanham, MD, Days Inn on Route 450 & Beltway in New Carrollton, MD, Fireside Lounge on Greenbelt Road in College Park, MD, Best Western in College Park, MD, and House Barge on the Potomac River in Tantallon, MD. An unusual meeting was held at the Phoenix Restaurant in Arlington, VA. The site was selected to satisfy complaints from members who wanted to meet in VA. We could not get a QUARUM that night. (Only five members showed up, only two were from VA; we spent time after the meal talking about the members who wanted a meeting in VA). We now meet at the Best Western in Clarion Inn, MD.