Administrative/support/waste management/remediation

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Washington — Disposing of disinfecting wipes and other non-flushable items down the toilet can damage wastewater management systems, warns the Environmental Protection Agency.

Silver Spring, MD — At least 53 sanitation workers in the United States (44) and Canada (nine) died from on-the-job injuries in 2019 – a 10.2% decrease from 2018, according to a recent analysis from the Solid Waste Association of North America.

London — Use of wheeled waste collection bins – instead of bags, boxes or baskets – may reduce musculoskeletal injuries and lost worktime among sanitation workers, according to a recent study out of the United Kingdom.

Silver Spring, MD — At least 30 sanitation workers died from on-the-job injuries in the first seven months of this year – a 9.1% decrease from the same period last year, according to a recent Solid Waste Association of North America analysis.

Silver Spring, MD — Seventeen sanitation workers – including 13 in the United States and four in Canada – were killed in the first three weeks of 2019, the Solid Waste Association of North America reports, a development the organization calls “unprecedented” and “unacceptable” as it urges industry employers and employees to renew their commitment to safety.

Raleigh, NC — An estimated 781 to 1,484 needlestick-related injuries – a rate of 2.7 per 100 workers – occur annually at solid waste and recycling material recovery facilities, according to a recent report from the Environmental Research and Education Foundation and the Solid Waste Association of North America.

Hazards associated with working in traffic, handling materials, and moving on and off garbage trucks put sanitation workers at risk. In the first two days of 2018 alone, seven sanitation workers were killed, according to the Solid Waste Association.

Washington – OSHA has created a webpage intended to help workers and employers involved with the agency’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (1910.120) for construction and general industry.

Research Triangle Park, NC – Outbreaks of viruses such as Ebola and Zika have prompted the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences – together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, OSHA, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response – to launch an infectious disease safety training program for first responders and hazardous waste workers.

New York – Injuries and fatalities are prevalent in the New York City commercial waste industry despite being easily preventable, according to a recent report from the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health.