Safety Matters

OSHA Expands Criteria for Severe Violator Enforcement Program

The U.S. Occupation Health and Safety Administration has expanded the criteria for placement in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP) to include violations of all hazards and agency standards and not just high emphasis hazards. The program targets employers who commit willful, repeated or failure-to-abate violations.

The new criteria mean that an employer can now be entered into the program because of having two or more willful, repeat, or failure-to-abate violations, regardless of the hazard involved. Previously, the SVEP was limited to cases involving fatalities, three or more hospitalizations, high-emphasis hazards, the potential release of a highly hazardous chemical, or enforcement actions classified as egregious. Additional changes to the program include updated timelines for inspections and removal from the SVEP.

Identification as an SVEP means that an employer will be included on a publicly available list of “severe violators” and subject to additional inspections, including at worksites not directly involved in the violation. These changes signify that OSHA is prioritizing enforcement and intends to impose significant consequences on employers that repeatedly and/or willfully violate OSHA requirements.

Accidents in the News

Through August 31, 2022

Farley, IA – An SUV attempted to illegally pass vehicles in the turn lane when it rear-ended a garbage truck, killing the 20-year-old driver and 21-year-old passenger of the SUV. MORE

Altus, OK – A landfill employee died from injuries sustained while traveling down a steep embankment on a grader. MORE

Wilmerding, PA – A 47-year-old collection truck driver died around 4 am when his truck tipped over while making a turn and crashing into two homes. MORE

Long Lake, NY – A 47-year-old man was killed after being pinned between a loading container and trash compactor at a transfer station when the container cable snapped. MORE

Sequim, WA – A 71-year-old man on a bicycle was struck and killed by a backing collection vehicle. MORE

Orange Grove, CA – An SUV ran a stop sign and was hit by a garbage truck causing both vehicles to flip. The SUV then caught fire, killing two people inside. MORE

Fresno, CA – A speeding car collided with the front of a garbage truck, killing the 38-year-old driver of the car. MORE

Trotwood, OH – The 50-year-old driver of a vehicle was killed after crashing into the rear of a garbage truck stopped for collection. MORE

Anne Arundel County, MD – A garbage truck attempting to pass a pickup truck on a narrow road with no shoulders left the road and sank into the mud, causing the trash truck to roll onto its right side, crushing a 54-year-old man on the riding step. MORE

Butler County, PA – One collection vehicle collided with another collection vehicle causing the first truck to crash into an unoccupied building and killing the driver. MORE

Canton Township, OH – A hydrogen sulfide release at a facility that converts hazardous inorganic waste into non-hazardous material resulted in the death of a 27-year-old employee. MORE

EPA Launches Updated Disaster Waste Management Planning Tool

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Land and Emergency Management has launched a new version of the All Hazards Waste Management Planning Tool. This interactive online tool helps users develop pre-incident waste management plans for both natural and man-made disasters. The intended user community for this tool is primarily decision makers at the state and local levels, Tribal communities, as well as owners and operators of large facilities (e.g., chemical plants).

The new features of this tool include improved estimation of waste volumes based on specific information about structures in impacted areas, updated and more detailed information on waste management facilities, the ability to add information on transportation options, and integration with other EPA disaster waste and debris systems. To access the updated tool, visit: https://wasteplan.epa.gov/ (registration required).

Upcoming Safety Events

Safety Summit @ WASTECON
San Diego, CA
December 5 – 8, 2022
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Forward Together: SWANA's Strategic Plan Town Hall Meeting
Online
October 11, 2022>
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Ontario Chapter Landfill Fire Safety Course
Online
November 17, 2022>
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