

#Garbage man manual
Used primarily in residential waste collection, automated side-loader garbage trucks help enhance sanitation worker safety by limiting exposure to hazards outside the truck, as well as those associated with manual lifting. Never use cellphones while driving garbage trucks or at a disposal facility.Wear personal protective equipment, especially high-visibility vests and/or outerwear.SWANA also offers safety tips for sanitation workers: Is there something we can do about the equipment to prevent these accidents? Is there something that we can do to make them less (frequent)?’” she said. “We really bring it together and say, ‘OK, you know, we had these accidents. The ANSI Z245 committee, which issued its most recent revisions in August, comprises industry representatives as well as those from equipment manufacturers, consulting firms, insurance companies, labor unions and trade associations. Eppes said OSHA often cites the standards – officially classified under ANSI Z245 – as part of its General Duty Clause, which helps fill gaps for the hazards OSHA recognizes but does not regulate. Houston-based consultant Susan Eppes is a former safety director in the sanitation industry. Ensure no one rides on the loading sills or in hoppers.Ensure workers are not using riding steps when the vehicle is backing, exceeding 10 mph or traveling more than 0.2 miles.Remain inside the vehicle cab until the vehicle is completely stopped.Ride only in the vehicle cab or on steps specifically designed for riding.The American National Standards Institute has published Safety Standards for Mobile Refuse Collection and Compaction Equipment, a group of procedures that offers worker guidance:

Collaborative safety standardsĪlthough OSHA regulations don’t expressly govern sanitation employees or vehicles, the agency still inspects industry employers if fatalities occur or it receives a complaint. “It’s pretty dangerous to be a garbage man,” said David Biderman, executive director and CEO of SWANA, based in Silver Spring, MD. Exposure to potentially dangerous materials is another hazard. Sprains, strains and overexertion injuries also frequently occur as workers jump on and off trucks and handle heavy loads. In addition, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that refuse and recyclable material collectors had the fifth-highest fatal work injury rate among civilian occupations in 2016 – facing a fatality risk nearly 10 times higher than workers in all other industries. In the first 10 days of 2018 alone, seven sanitation workers were killed, according to the Solid Waste Association of North America.

Also common – although not as widely known – are injuries to sanitation workers before, during and after trash collection.
