The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA), Washington, has announced the appointment of Anthony Hargis as its new national safety director. In this role, he will lead the industry’s strategic efforts to focus on safety improvement, including the reduction of accidents, injuries and fatalities in the field.
Hargis most recently served as corporate transportation and fleet, safety and compliance manager for Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Refreshments North America, the fifth largest commercial fleet in the United States. He previously held roles in safety, training and compliance for the city of Atlanta and at companies including Translogic Auto Carriers, Premier Transportation and Boise Cascade. He began his career in the waste industry.
“Tony is an accomplished safety leader and visionary with a unique combination of results-driven senior level nationwide experience who also understands the challenges that drivers and operations professionals deal with day in and day out,” says Sharon H. Kneiss, president and chief executive officer of NWRA. “As we implement meaningful and lasting high-impact initiatives that will help create a safer work environment, he will play a vital role as we lead our industry efforts at becoming safer, smarter and stronger.”
Early in his career, Hargis drove a commercial waste vehicle, and quickly rose through the ranks in his career into management and safety training roles. At Coca-Cola, he was responsible for safety programs reaching more than 14,000 commercial drivers, 10,000 noncommercial drivers and more than 30,000 power units and trailers operating throughout North America. He holds numerous certifications, including as Certified Transportation Professional (CTP) (National Private Truck Council), an associate Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) Professional (AHP), is certified by the Federal and Georgia Emergency Management Agencies for National Incident Management Systems/Incident Command System (NIMS/ICS) and for Incident Command System/Emergency Operation Center Interface. He also holds a Class A CDL tractor-trailer license, a Driver Trainer license and is a licensed Heavy Equipment Operator.
“I am excited to bring my years of experience in driving safety performance to this industry on a national scale to truly make a difference,” Hargis says. “I’m looking forward to working with NWRA members and chapters across the country as we focus relentlessly on lasting improvements.”
NWRA says it has made safety its top priority, a pledge it says is shared by its member companies. NWRA publishes Safety Monday each week for its member companies, offers safety-oriented training and certification programs, and recently led the first-ever Stand Down in January 2016. NWRA is also the designated Secretariat for standard setting (under ANSI) for the waste and recycling industry, including coordinating the ongoing development of new and revised standards for operations, equipment and protective gear.
