A NATIONAL UPDATE ON SAFETY & HOW TO ENGAGE YOUR MPLOYEES. David Biderman, ED/CEO

Transcription

1 A NATIONAL UPDATE ON SAFETY & HOW TO ENGAGE YOUR MPLOYEES David Biderman, ED/CEO

2 What is SWANA? SWANA is the largest association for the waste sector in the United States 8,500+ members SWANA has a large and growing chapter in Arizona 300 individual members SWANA s core membership consists of municipal officials reflects belief that waste management is responsibility of public sector SWANA programs focus on research, education, certification/training, networking and SAFETY! 2

3 Renewed Focus on Safety SWANA has placed increased emphasis on improving the industry s safety culture. In the United States, waste/recycling workers have the 5 th highest fatality rate in the country. - Higher than police officers or firefighters - Fatality rate and raw numbers have increased since On average, 1 U.S. waste worker dies weekly on the job Many worker fatalities occur at small employers in the private sector (i.e., small haulers) 3

4 Recent Safety Data The federal government s Dec 2016 worker fatality report (for 2015) found: 36 collection fatalities 11 landfill fatalities 3 MRF fatalities SWANA s preliminary worker fatality count for 2016 identifies 40 deaths.

5 Recent Safety Data SWANA tracks fatal accidents throughout the U.S. and Canada in which a third-party is killed. There were about 70 such events in 2016 and we continue to collect data 2-3 fatal incidents per week in Fall 2016 UNACCEPTABLE!

6 Fatalities Most common collection worker fatalities: - Backing - Roll Over - Struck By Most common third-party fatalities: - Other driver crosses into path (head on) - Intersections (pedestrians/other vehicles/bikes) - Back of the truck/rear End

7 Rear End

8 Rollover

9 Arizona Fatalities There were 2 fatal incidents involving waste trucks/personnel in 2016 in Arizona - Motorist didn t obey stop sign and was struck by garbage truck (Coolidge) - Motorcyclist crashed into garbage truck making a left turn (Tucson)

10 Injuries and Illnesses 15,000+ reported injuries or illness/year in U.S. Collection injury rate is 6.4 (per 100 employees) MRF injury rate is 5.1 (8.4 in 2014) why such a big decline? 2,000+ accidents/year require towed vehicle U.S. government has found reported injury rates and days away from work are higher for public sector workers than in private sector Older workers/older trucks in public sector? Public sector resid collection w manual rear trucks Are all injuries being reported?

11 Solid Waste Accidents Solid waste and recycling vehicles are involved in accidents with EVERYTHING:

12 Fires Continue to be a Problem Summer fires hit several recycling facilities Firefighters respond to fire in garbage truck Why Rumpke s Cincinnati recycling plant has had so many fires Crews Let Fort Worth Landfill Fire Burn Itself Out Plano to dump recyclables in landfill after fire destroys service center

13 AZ Landfill Fires Landfill fire fills skies in Phoenix with smoke - Oct Fire at Los Reales landfill now out July/Tucson

14 Financial Costs The financial costs of major accidents can easily exceed $1 million (settlement/jury award; legal fees; insurance increases; management time) Georgia - $11 million settlement (Nov 2016) Oregon - $14 million jury award (May 2016) Michigan - $14.4 million jury award (March 2015)

15 New Laws and Rules The Obama Administration expanded OSHA s regulatory authority but issued few rules that directly impact waste sector Walking-Working Surfaces/Fall Protection (Dec 2016) Don t expect active OSHA in Sleep Apnea Guidelines for Drivers? -- Oct 2016 FMCSA proposal but Trump Admin unlikely to finalize (regulatory moratorium issued Jan 20, 2017)

16 Ten Tips to Improve Safety 1. Engage Your Drivers and Other Front Line Workers Majority of accidents/injuries are caused by unsafe behavior. Make safety personal for your workers. Figure out how to motivate workers to change their unsafe behaviors Safety needs to be part of their DNA. Use photos and video to reach employees. Most front-line workers will respond better to visual than written safety communication.

17 Improving Safety 2. Review Your Safety Data Not all Arizona solid waste employers have the same safety issues: What are your most common injuries/accidents? What are your most costly injuries/accidents? Do you have more accidents on certain days/times? Figure out common causes address them. Each municipality/company has different fleets, routes, safety leadership, budget constraints, etc.

18 Improving Safety 3. Route Observation Many employers observe drivers/helpers on the route to make sure they are complying with applicable laws and working safety. Employers that do route observation on a regular basis using supervisors or cameras see a substantial reduction in unsafe behaviors and accidents. - Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Speed - Cellphone/Texting - Seat Belts - Turn Signals - Backing/Riding Step (ANSI guidelines) What role can technology play?

19 Improving Safety 4. Use Safety Monday and Other Visual Communication Tools Communicate importance of safety frequently and consistently Weekly/monthly safety meetings Get creative with signs, videos and posters

20 Improving Safety 5. Safety Belts Drivers and helpers should always wear a safety belt. If truck overturns, it can save your driver s/helper s life! New York City - August 2011

21 Miracle in Miami A City of Miami driver survived a 75-foot drop off of I-95 in January Photo/Video credit: The Miami Herald Video: Photo credit: WPTV Miami-Dade

22 Distracted Driving 6. Distracted Driving is Dangerous! Cell phone Texting Food and drinks Have a written policy! Are you enforcing it? The National Safety Council (U.S.) recently reported 27% of all crashes involve cell phone use or texting.

23 Reducing Injuries 7. Focus on Lifting and Slips/Trips/Falls Two most common injuries for solid waste workers. Lifting training - new hire and annual Workers are getting older and may be more prone to injury Why are your workers falling? Correct footwear Adjusting for bad weather Rushing Photo Courtesy of: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

24 Safety at Disposal Facilities 8. Don t Forget About Disposal TS & LF Post-collection employees need to be reminded to follow safety rules it s a very challenging work environment: Traffic direction/speed limits Truck separation tipping floor/working face No Scavenging 6 ft of vehicle Don t walk under open tailgate Slips/trips/falls No cell phone use PPE Hi viz/shoes/gloves/glasses Swinging doors/truck separation

25 Safety at Recycling Facilities Don t Forget About MRFs Recycling employees face unique hazards and need to be reminded to follow the rules Lockout Tagout Bale Stacking Forklifts Sorters: Hand injuries/clothing Slips/trips/falls

26 Summer Heat can Be Deadly In Arizona, you need to keep heatrelated issues in mind! Frequent rest, water and shade Recognize symptoms Move worker to shade/cold if symptomatic Call 911 if emergency

27 Improving Safety 9. PPE Last Line of Defense Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is often an employee s last line of defense to avoiding an injury. Because waste/recycling workers face a wide variety of hazards, PPE is essential to preventing injuries. Make sure all collection workers are wearing high viz Shoes, gloves, hard hats, glasses Use observations on route or at facility to enforce PPE rules.

28 Safety Ambassadors Safety Monday Fatality Alerts Classroom safety/compliance training Collecting injury/accident data Safety Annual Safety Summit March 2017 #SWANAsafety Slow Down to Get Around! Partner with NWRA/EREF/ISWA/NGVA SWANA s Safety Program Tip #10: SWANA s expanded Safety Program includes webinars, weekly and monthly safety information, and frequent updates to members about accidents in their states.

29 Conclusions Solid waste can be dangerous work and employers have a responsibility to provide safety training and information to workers to help them prevent accidents and injuries. Successful employers are engaging their employees and getting them to change their unsafe behaviors. SWANA wants to help all waste employers in Arizona reduce accidents and injuries as we work to get the waste sector off the list of 10 most dangerous jobs in the United States.

30 Questions? Be Safe! Thank you! David Biderman