The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) in Washington has announced the participation of several leading companies and independent waste and recycling organizations nationwide in its second safety stand-down, with an emphasis on keeping collection workers safe during hot weather. Through this effort, NWRA is equipping participants with guidance and tools on water, rest and shade as preventative measures to pretext the health of industry workers as temperatures begin to soar in summer months.
The 2016 NWRA Safety Stand Down on Water, Rest and Shade launches on May 16, with a weeklong training and awareness initiative focused around reducing heat-related illness and injuries. This will include a daily focus on safety issues related to keeping cool, hydrated and healthy in warmer weather and will conclude on May 20.
Nearly 60 companies have already joined the stand down, with additional participants registering as the kickoff to the Stand Down nears. The NWRA is also being joined by several regional waste and recycling associations and the municipal waste community, who have encouraged their members to participate in the stand down:
- California Refuse and Recycling Council;
- the Oregon Refuse and Recycling Association;
- the Washington Refuse and Recycling Association;
- the International Scrap Recycling Institute; and
- the Solid Waste Association of North America.
“We are proud of the commitment of our members, sponsor and partners to work together to raise the bar for safety in our industry,” says NWRA president and CEO Sharon H. Kneiss. “We are working to raise awareness and elevate our performance as we focus on the importance of a safe environment for our workers and the communities they serve nationwide. Through training, effective communications and heightened awareness we are committed to helping improve safety across our industry.”
NWRA says it has made safety its top priority, a pledge shared by its member companies. This stand down will provide participating companies with the tools, guidance and support necessary to move the needle on heat-related health incidents. In 2014, 1,160 injury and illness cases with lost work days involved exposure to environmental heat in the services providing industries. The waste and recycling industry falls into this sector. The NWRA says it is assisting with tools to help employers make employees aware of the risk. Through this stand down, NWRA says it aims to prepare companies to address the concern and provide employees the resources they need to stay healthy in the heat.
This stand down comes on the heels of the NWRA Stand Down on Backing that took place in January. This stand down brought together more than 60 percent of the industry for a week of education, discussion and resource sharing to reduce backing related incidents, the NWRA says.
Participation in the NWRA safety stand downs involves waste and recycling companies’ commitment to focusing employee safety sessions during the week on heat safety; conducting a risk assessment and review of heat-related policies and procedures; and posting stand down information at facilities and on social media sites to make employees aware of this effort.
"NWRA, its members and partners in this stand down, are committed to safety. This is one of multiple efforts NWRA is leading to move the needle on safety in our industry for our workers and the communities we serve," says Kneiss.
The stand down is sponsored by 3rd Eye Cam Powered by AWTI, a Houston-based supplier to the waste and recycling industry, whose products and technologies are directly contributing to improving safety.
“AWTI is proud to again serve as the premiere sponsor for the second NWRA’s 2016 Safety Stand Down,” says AWTI and 3rd Eye MobileVision Executive Vice President Mark Regan. “Efforts such as this strengthen and promote the most important principle we must all strive for…making sure every employee and the public they serve go home safe everyday.”
Additional details about the stand down can be found at wasterecycling.org/our-work/safety or by following the social media hashtag #KeepSafetyCool.
