Curbside collection ranks as fifth most dangerous job in the US

Refuse and recyclable materials collection remains the fith most dangerous job in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The 2015 National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries released shows that the rate of fatalities among waste collection workers has risen since 2014. The results of this report highlight the necessity and value of ongoing safety programming within the industry.

The 2015 BLS data for collection workers show a rate of 38.8 fatalities per 100,000 full-time employees, up from 35.8 in 2014. This continues an upward trend in the rate since 2012.

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), Silver Spring, Maryland, says it continues its efforts to educate and advance awareness for better industry safety practices through its integrated Safety Matters program and access to free safety-focused resources online and in person.

“Although we feel we have been making progress, this data show we are not yet where we need to be,” says Luann Meyer, safety ambassador of SWANA's New York Chapter. “We have to keep making safety a top priority.”

The Safety Matters webpage is an resource portal that serves as a central place for SWANA members and other industry professionals to access the latest in safety news, important safety materials and upcoming safety events.

Included on the webpage is information about each of SWANA’s safety initiatives–including the Safety Ambassador program, Slow Down to Get Around decal distribution, Safety Awards–and direct links to outside resources, such as the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).

“We are not surprised by the BLS data, as we track all fatalities in the U.S. and Canada involving waste personnel and equipment," says SWANA Executive Director and CEO David Biderman. "There’s lots of work to be done to get the waste collection industry off the list of top 10 most dangerous jobs in the U.S. With our Safety Matters webpage and frequent workshops across the country, our goal is to provide the helpful and necessary resources to contribute to reducing accidents and injuries in the industry. Nothing we do is more important.”

SWANA’s fifth annual Safety Summit, as part of SWANApalooa 2017 in Reno, Nevada, March 27-30, 2017, will provide special sessions focused on safety throughout the waste management cycle. Starting with the collection of materials and continuing through processing, landfilling, composting and recycling, industry experts will discuss how safety can and should be a core value in all waste industry operations.

This curated program track will provide a look at the state of safety today and provide attendees with great new techniques for building a positive safety culture.

“Unfortunately it’s the nature of the business that our workers are exposed to increased risk with heavy equipment and the types of work they are doing,” says David Horne, SWANA Pennsylvania Eastern Region safety ambassador. “The solid waste industry needs to keep fighting the fight, as far as safety is concerned, so we can start moving in a positive direction from year to year.”