Slow Down to Get Around

Slow Down to Get Around

Road accidents caused by distracted or speeding drivers are a huge risk for the more than 135,000 men and women of the waste collection industry who are out in force each day helping to keep communities clean and healthy. While drivers understand that they are required by law to slow down when they see a school bus or emergency vehicle, not all states mandate that drivers be cautious around garbage trucks.

A recent report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2011) indicates that 34 waste and recycling collectors died on the job in 2011, a 31 percent increase from the number of fatalities reported in 2010.

The report states that refuse and recyclable material collectors had a fatal injury rate of 41.2 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2011, compared to a rate of 29.8 per 100,000 FTEs in 2010.

The BLS now ranks waste and recycling collection as the 4th most dangerous profession in the United States, up from 2010's No. 7 ranking.

The Environmental Industry Associations' Phil Hagan and Sharon H. Kneiss are educating viewers about a national safety campaign developed by waste companies aimed at putting an end to tragic road accidents involving garbage collectors—a leading cause of workplace deaths and injuries for such employees. Called “Slow Down to Get Around,” the campaign urges drivers to be more careful around waste collection vehicles. Kneiss and Hagan are reminding viewers that it only takes one smart and cautious driver to set an example. Be a leader in your community—when you see a trash truck, slow down to get around. By doing so, you may be saving a life.

Phil Hagan, Director of Safety, Environmental Industry Associations (EIA) has worked in the operational side of the safety and risk management field for more than 25 years. He is an author with expertise in the areas of occupational safety and health. He is an editor and author of the National Safety Council’s Accident Prevention Manuals. Hagan has worked on both laws and consensus standards related to the safety world throughout his career. As an attorney, he has worked on personal injury and related tort issues.

Sharon H. Kneiss is the president and CEO of the Environmental Industry Associations (EIA), the trade association that represents the private sector waste and recycling services industry. She served as vice president, products division with the American Chemistry Council (ACC). She also served as a public spokesperson on critical issues before Congress and high-profile media.