Safety Matters

SWANA Safety Summit

Save the date for SWANA’s Safety Summit being held virtually on Thursday, February 25, 2021. This half-day event will share new industry data on injuries and fatalities and explore how we can  improve collection and post-collection safety. Industry leaders will also discuss the pandemic response and what lessons can be applied. Further details and registration will be available soon, but mark down February 25 on your calendar today.

Speeding Top Cause of Citation During Operation Safe Driver Week

From July 12 to July 18, law enforcement officials throughout the United States and Canada issued 71,000 citations and warnings during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Operation Safe Driver Week. The top five reasons commercial motor vehicle drivers received a citation or warning were:

1. Speeding
2. Failure to wear a seat belt
3. Failure to obey a traffic control device
4. Texting or using a handheld phone
5. Improper lane change

The results of Operation Safe Driver Week show that continued training on safety basics is vital to protecting workers and the public. SWANA’s Five to Stay Alive program provides simple, easy to understand safety tips for collection workers and others on the job. These tips include always wearing a seatbelt, never using a cell phone while driving, always complying with seatbelt rules, and never speeding or rushing. These materials have recently been updated with new visuals for easier understanding and are available in English and Spanish.

Accidents in the News

Through 9/30/20

Cahoes, NY – A 72-year-old contract worker was cutting pipe with a demolition saw as part of new cell development at a landfill when it apparently kicked back on him, resulting in a fatal wound to his neck. MORE

Mapleton Township, ON – A garbage truck left the road and rolled into a ditch, ejecting the 47-year-old driver from the truck and killing him. MORE

Salt Lake City, UT – A mechanic working on a garbage truck suffered a fatal injury. MORE

Phoenix, AZ – A car reportedly travelling at a high rate of speed collided with the back of a garbage truck on a freeway around 4 am, killing the car driver. No article available.

Portage Borough, PA – A garbage truck was backing into an alley when it pinned a 24-year-old helper against a utility pole, killing him. MORE

Cordes Lakes, AZ – At around 11:45 am, a 34-year-old motorcyclist was killed after crossing the center line on Antelope Road and colliding with the front of a garbage truck heading the opposite direction. MORE

Fair Lakes, VA – A contractor hauling refuse from a transfer station died in a single vehicle accident when his tractor-trailer ran off the road at a ramp entrance, striking the guardrail and overturning down an embankment. MORE

Upcoming Safety Events

Virginia Safety Summit
October 29, 2020
Virtual
Click here for more info>>

MRF Summit – includes a safety session
November 18 & 19, 2020
Virtual
Click here for more info>>

2020 Safety Awards Presentation
SWANA Annual Business Meeting
December 9, 2020
Virtual
Click here for more info>>

SWANA 2020 Safety Summit
February 25, 2021
Virtual
Further details to follow