SWANA Launches Safety Toolkit for Solid Waste Haulers
The toolkit includes safety guidance and material such as the "5 to Stay Alive" safety tips and "Top 10 Backing Best Practices." There is also a Safety Pledge for workers to sign and a Pledge to Get Home Safe mini poster.
The Solid Waste Association of North American (SWANA) has launched a Hauler Safety Toolkit to provide safety messages and resources directly to haulers. The toolkit was developed by safety leaders within each of the SWANA chapters.
SWANA's toolkit combines safety resources into a shareable form for SWANA Chapter Safety Ambassadors to distribute at Hauler Safety Outreach events. According to WasteDive, it can serve as a starter kit for companies looking to build a strong safety culture. The toolkit includes safety guidance and material such as the "5 to Stay Alive" safety tips and "Top 10 Backing Best Practices." There is also a Safety Pledge for workers to sign and a Pledge to Get Home Safe mini poster.
According to SWANA, collection workers currently have the fifth-highest occupational fatality rate in the United States. SWANA hopes that the toolkit's safety messaging will help reduce the rate of injuries and fatalities for drivers when they bring material to landfills, transfer stations, waste-to-energy facilities, materials recovery facilities, and other sites.
"The SWANA Hauler Safety Toolkit is a great resource to touch drivers, helpers, supervisors, and managers in the waste industry and sends a consistent safety message to all industry professionals," said James Profitt, assistant manager of Operations at Montgomery County Solid Waste Services and SWANA's Safety Ambassador for Ohio. "I plan to work with landfills, transfer stations, and MRFs in Ohio to provide a consistent message about safety, along with some specific rules and regulations for each disposal site."