Safety training vital for waste collection
For waste collection workers, there are plenty of hazards that can come with taking out the trash.
There were 31 deaths of garbage and recycling collectors in the U.S. in 2016 – based on statistics collected by the American Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries – ranking garbage and recycling collection as the fifth most dangerous job in the States at that time. In Canada, waste collection workers are part of the 30,200 individuals who fall into the “public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers” category. They are said to be up to three times more likely to be hurt on the job than the average worker.
“There are a variety of reasons that garbage and recycling workers may be at more risk due to some of the items tossed into garbage or recycling bins that they have to remove, such as hypodermic needles and hazardous waste,” said Susanne Babcock, a safety officer with Loraas Disposal Services. “Hazardous waste being disposed of inappropriately, which can lead to chemical exposure or in some cases chemicals combining from different loads can cause a reaction that may lead to a fire.
“For those out in the trucks, they will have to face all the hazards of the road that everyone would have to deal with, however, they will leave the vehicles from time to time and passing traffic can also create hazards.”
Babcock said there are preventative measures in place for waste collection workers employed by Loraas to prevent injuries from happening. All workers are required to wear the personal protective equipment, including a hard hat, safety glasses, high visibility striping, steel-toed boots, gloves and hearing protection.
She said drivers are also trained to deal with the specific hazards they will face. They undergo up to six weeks of training, working under and alongside an experienced driver to ensure that they are aware of how the machine works and how they can use the truck in their day-to-day work. Workers are trained on a variety of topics, from how to deal with a needle poke to how to get in and out of their vehicles in a safe manner.
Babcock noted that while Loraas does what it can to train, educate and equip its workers to prevent illness or injury, the company continues to educate and work with the community to help create a safe work environment by ensuring that waste goes in the right place.
“From what we can see, the public is becoming more aware about what they throw away or recycle. However, it’s far from perfect,” Babcock said. “We still see all sorts of things thrown into the recycling or garbage that makes us shake our heads.
“From my own personal experiences, I have seen a drop in injuries in our work environment, but we are not perfect and there are still hazards that our workers have to face. I think that making the public aware of the hazards that a garbage collection worker faces will maybe make people think twice about where they dispose of something or encourage them to slow down when that truck is trying to maneuver to pick up their recycling or trash.”
The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council recommends ways to safely dispose of many items. The public is encouraged to visit www. saskwastereduction.ca for more information.