Our Goal: Mitigating Danger Through Safety

In many sectors of society, being in the “top ten” is seen as a high achievement. From home runs in baseball to the best hybrid cars to buy, many in North America look for the “ten best” when comparing products, athletes, restaurants, or schools.

However, there is that other “top ten” ranking which is a list on which no one wants to be. The one where you literally risk life, limb, and the ability to work. I am referring to the top ten most dangerous jobs. Sadly, the work by SWANA members and tens of thousands of others in solid waste and resource management professions find themselves in jobs that are among the most dangerous.

In SWANA’s strategic plan, Forward Together, one of our main priorities includes taking members of the solid waste and resource management profession off that list. Clearly, this is not a goal that will be reached overnight, nor will it be something that SWANA can do alone. The reason why it is a major goal of the association is to reiterate our commitment to health and safety issues. We know that this endeavor will only be accomplished by a sustainable effort lasting many years, which includes all of us.

SWANA’s commitment to this goal can be seen in what it has provided to the profession regarding resources, training, and opportunities for you to network with colleagues around the globe about combatting the terrible tragedies that we know happen in the workplace.

The Board of Directors of SWANA were very emphatic about the importance of safety issues as we tackle the goal of no longer being one of the ten most dangerous jobs. In support of this endeavor, SWANA initiatives have included:

• SWANA Safety Award Program – winners will be announced later this month on June 29 and awards will be presented in Boston at WASTECON 2023 in Boston this September
• Safety First – weekly safety newsletter that SWANA creates and distributes
• Slow Down to Get Around (SDTGA) – national safety campaign to remind drivers to slow down around waste and recycling collection workers
• Town Hall Webinar focusing on this goal – now available as a recording, this webinar can be found here; given the importance of this topic, the recording of the Town Hall is now available on SWANA.org for everyone to access
• Safety Ambassadors – SWANA’s Chapter Safety Ambassadors are safety leaders who are available to provide support to members; find your ambassador here
• Safety Summit – The SWANA Safety Summit will take place at WASTECON 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts; attendees will have access to a range of sessions aimed at educating and providing practical solutions to health and safety-related challenges

I remember reading a kid’s book to my son when he was very young which focused on “Safety First.” That was the overall theme and referred to crossing the street and other daily tasks. But, here’s the thing. While we all hope for “safety first” we all know that success will be found when we actually practice, “safety always.” I hope you will take advantage of the resources that SWANA has provided around the issue of safety and that someday soon, we can celebrate being dropped from the list of most dangerous jobs.

Please contact me at: ryep@swana.org if you have questions or comments. Remember that registration is now open for WASTECON 2023 so sign up now.

Be well (and be safe).