The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has published its annual review of fatal occupational injuries, which reveals that fatalities of all U.S. workers remained flat in 2017. In the public and private waste and recycling industry, fatalities declined slightly from 31 in 2016 to 30 in 2017. However, the fatal work injury rate increased in 2017 from 34.1 to 35.0 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers.
“This should encourage our industry to continue its commitment to the organizational programs implemented over the past year to strengthen the culture of safety,” said Darrell Smith, president and CEO of the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA), in a statement. “The National Waste & Recycling Association and our members won’t stop looking for opportunities to improve, and we will never accept any loss. Zero is possible.”
