Safety Matters

SWANA Met with Department of Transportation to Discuss New National Roadway Safety Strategy

SWANA recently met with staff from the Office of the Secretary of Transportation to discuss the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new comprehensive National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), a roadmap for addressing roadway fatalities and serious injuries. SWANA emphasized the importance of ensuring the NRSS is implemented with collection vehicles and workers in mind, given jobs in this area are the sixth most deadliest in the United States.

The NRSS is the first step in working toward an ambitious long-term goal of reaching zero roadway fatalities. Actions include:

• Working with states and local road owners to build and maintain safer roadway through various efforts, including updates to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, a Complete Streets Initiative to provide technical assistance to communities of all sizes, and speed limit setting.
• Leveraging technology to improve the safety of motor vehicles on our roadways, including rulemaking on automatic emergency braking and pedestrian automatic emergency braking, and updates to the New Car Assessment Program.
• Investing in road safety through funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including a new $6 billion Safe Streets and Roads for All program, hundreds of millions for behavioral research and interventions, and $4 billion in additional funding for the Highway Safety Improvement Program.

Accidents in the News

Through 1/31/22

Paris, TX – An 18-year-old temporary employee was killed in an incident involving a garbage truck. MORE…

Old Bridge, NJ – A 59-year-old woman pulled in front of a garbage truck as she was exiting a parking lot. The truck was unable to stop due to icy conditions and the woman was killed in the collision. MORE…

North Bergen, NJ – A police officer on his way to work struck the back of a garbage truck. His vehicle then caught fire and he was taken out unconscious by the truck driver and another person who stopped. MORE…

Hammond, LA – A 42-year-old man was crushed in the back of a garbage truck after apparently entering a dumpster and falling asleep. MORE…

Gaithersburg, MD – At around 8:30 am, a garbage truck making a right turn struck and killed a 61-year-old bicyclist who was in the intersection. MORE…

Bay County, MI – A pickup truck struck a roll-off truck stopped to make a turn, killing the 41-year-old driver and two 6-year-old children. MORE…

Long Beach, CA – A 57-year-old man laying down in an alleyway was run over and killed by a garbage truck that was backing up. MORE…

Tyngsborough, MA – A driver was killed in a collision with a garbage truck while trying to flee police. MORE…

Grant County, IN – A 22-year-old died after rear-ending a garbage truck that was stopped for collection. MORE…

Brooklyn, NY – A 55-year-old man on an electric scooter was struck and killed by a sanitation truck making a right turn. MORE…

Shalersville, OH – The driver of a garbage truck allegedly failed to yield at a stop sign while making a left turn, colliding with an SUV and killing the 80-year-old passenger. MORE…

OSHA Form 300A Due by March 2

March 2, 2022, is the deadline for electronically reporting OSHA Form 300A data for calendar year 2021. A Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses is required from establishments with 250 or more employees that are required to keep OSHA injury and illness records, and establishments with 20 to 249 employees in certain industries. This includes waste collection (NAICS 5621) and waste treatment and disposal (NAICS 5622). Submit injury and illness data electronically at www.osha.gov/300A.

Upcoming Safety Events

National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls
National
May 2 – 6, 2022
Click here for more info »

National Safety Month
National
June 2022
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Safety Summit @ WASTECON
San Diego, CA
December 5 – 8, 2022
Click here for more info »