Emergency Prescription 

Kate McGinn

A NEW YORK CITY SANITATION worker recently became a victim of violence. While picking up trash in March, two workers were caught in a hail of gunfire...

Safety's Savings 

By R. Michael Hand Sr.

AT A LANDFILL OR TRANSFER station, safety is about saving saving lives; saving families and friends from suffering; saving equipment; and subsequently...

Reversing Accidents 

Bruce A. Hooker R.F. Mattei & Associates of CA Insurance Services Sacramento, Calif.

TRADITIONALLY, BACKING ACCIDENTS and the waste industry have gone hand in hand. Such accidents account for at least 25 percent of the vehicle accidents...

Safety Matters 

Patricia-Anne Tom

YOU'VE HEARD THE REPORTS. SAFETY PROGRAMS can save lives in the waste industry. And as the city of Atlanta sadly learned last month, truck maintenance...

Trash Collection Ergonomics 

Kate McGinn XL Specialty Insurance Co. www.xlinsurance.com Exton, Pa.

TREATING BACK INJURIES, AN occupational hazard in the waste industry, can create aches and pains in a waste firm's bottom line. According to the National...

Safety: Your Lifeblood 

ByRandy Woods

THE IMAGE OF SAFETY in the waste industry is evolving. No longer a few cautionary posters in the workplace and a manual gathering dust on a shelf, safety...

LIVING AND BREATHING LANDFILL SAFETY 

By Michael Fickes

BILLY MARTIN IS ELIMINATING safety directors from Waste Management Inc. (WM) divisions nationwide. Three years ago, the Houston-based trash behemoth fielded...

Safety First 

By Kim A. O'Connell

IT'S THE NEWS THAT NO waste industry professional wants to hear. In January, Eva Barrientos, a New York City sanitation worker, was killed in a freak...

How's My Driving? 

Kennith D. Brock Strategic Safety Solutions Laconia, N.H.

LAST YEAR, HIGHWAY FATALITIES reached their highest level since 1990 and cost the United States more than $230 billion. For commercial fleets, those costs...

This is Not a Test 

Chris Chamberlain MGA Communications Inc. Denver

NO INDUSTRY IS IMMUNE to the threat of a crisis. Especially in the waste industry, people do not care that there has been a flood or hurricane. If they...

Strapped In 

Kathleen M. White Contributing Editor Portland, Ore.

WASTE HAULERS transport delicate cargo. While no one may question whether heaps of trash will survive the haul, it is another story when it comes to the...

Bad Press Takes Back Seat 

Kate McGinn XL Environmental Exton, Pa. www.xlenvironmental.com

IF YOU BELIEVE NEWS HEADLINES, choosing a career in the waste industry is a job track akin to a death wish. The Associated Press reported on the Worker...

Security System 

By Don Payne Waste Management Inc. Houston

THREE YEARS AGO, Waste Management Inc. (WMI) employee Jimmy Savage was killed during what should have been a routine day at work. Savage was struck by...

Surviving the Grind 

Kate McGinn Exton, Pa. XL Environmental www.xlenvironmental.com

MORE THAN CATASTROPHIC accidents, the mundane details of a day at work claim the most injuries. However, conducting ergonomic assessments, accident-proofing...

WAR & WASTE 

By Alice P. Jacobsohn

THE WASTE INDUSTRY prides itself on keeping America clean and healthy by properly disposing of and recycling discarded materials. But because of the close...

Up in Smoke 

Christine McCoy Rural Community Assistance Program Washington, D.C.

UNFORTUNATELY, MILLIONS of Americans still rely on backyard burning to manage household waste. Small communities especially continue this practice because...

Poison Control 

By Andrew Files and George Criner

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE (HHW) can create a pile of trouble if not managed properly. To prevent this waste from accumulating in landfills or backyards...

The Accidental Trucker 

Kate McGinn, XL Environmental Inc. Exton, Pa., www.xlenvironmental.com

WHEN A TRUCKING accident occurs, companies and especially their managers should be properly trained to respond quickly to an incident, investigate what...

INSURANCE: Cutting Your Losses 

Joseph Catanese

Fleet managers certainly want their drivers to avoid major collisions and the subsequent costly insurance claims, but they also should remember how essential...

Raising the Bar 

Michael Fickes

Industries that fail to regulate themselves adequately will eventually receive their comeuppance. For example, Enron's financial misdeeds have caused...

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT: Assessing Security Risks 

Joseph Catanese

Today, more than ever, companies need to reduce their exposure to physical security threats and establish prudent risk management practices. This is especially...

INSURANCE: Top Tips for Driver Safety 

Joseph Catanese

In today's tight trucking insurance market, there's incentive for waste companies to make safety a priority. A study by the Washington, D.C.-based Federal...

INSURANCE: Rock Solid Prevention Tips 

Bruce Hooker and Ed Gallagher

If a motorist claims a rock from one of your collection vehicles damaged his windshield, does your company pay for the damages? It all depends. Regardless,...

NSWMA, SWANA Establish Anthrax Guidance for the Waste Industry 

Danielle Jackson

In response to numerous requests from their members, both the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA), Washington, D.C., and the Solid Waste...

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT: Return to Work Programs Help Injured Workers 

Joseph Catanese

In today's economy, employers need to conserve their resources. One way businesses could save is by managing employee health and work absences, which...