Since March 14, the North American Solid Waste Association has recorded a significant increase in deaths involving vehicles and solid waste collection workers.
Since March 14, the North American Solid Waste Association (SWANA) has recorded a significant increase in deaths involving vehicles and solid waste collection workers.
The organization said it knew of at least sixteen fatal accidents in the United States that killed eighteen people, including eight people, who killed a solid waste officer in the past month.
SWANA recognizes that many workers may be concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the increase in residential space and operational changes could disrupt routine and affect productivity. However, even during this difficult period, employees involved in the collection of solid waste must adhere to the applicable safety rules, including:
Wear a seat belt
Never be on a step when the truck is moving
Do not use your mobile phone while the truck is moving.
Always wear personal protective equipment (PPE)
Observe speed limits and other traffic regulations.
Some of the fatal accidents over the past three weeks were caused by non-compliance with these basic safety rules. These safety recommendations are part of the SWANA 5 to Stay Alive initiative, which provides guidance for employees in solid waste collection and recycling who work at collection, transshipment, waste disposal, waste disposal, composting and recycling facilities.
David Biderman, CEO and CEO of SWANA, commented:
“SWANA has seen a marked decrease in the number of deaths in the first two months of 2020 compared with the past two years, but since mid-March we have seen a rapid increase in the frequency of these tragic events. This coincides with the COVID-19 pandemic. “Although workers involved in the disposal of solid waste legally take care of their own health and that of their families, they should focus on route safety and post-collection operations,” the report said.
Sal Mastriani, director of risk management for interstate waste services, added:
“We remain diligent in all aspects of working safety with the added protective features of latex gloves and masks. Our team responded impressively. Although we are concerned about the increasing number of deaths at the national level, we are fortunate that our incidents have decreased.
“In addition, I urge everyone to monitor emotional stress and increased anxiety among people working at the forefront, which may have contributed to some of the recent clashes that others have seen.”
Since March 14, 2020, fatalities involving vehicles and solid waste collection personnel have occurred in Arizona, California, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
Although recent events have shown that there is a real need for more effective training and implementation of safety procedures, many organizations have excellent programs worthy of imitation. That is why SWANA is proud to recognize these industry leaders with the SWANA Security Award in 2020, which accepts applications until June 26th.