During the pandemic, workplace safety has become a buzzword. But when talking about it in the context of waste collection, we are not only considering face masks and disinfecting surfaces regularly. Or as David Biderman, Executive Director and CEO of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) put it: “Collecting waste is dangerous.”
Solid waste collection workers are still on the list of the ten most dangerous jobs. From the truck itself to the collected garbage (lithium-ion batteries, syringes, glass, and chemicals: MSW has a lot of unexpected hazards in store), from distractions like mobile phones to bad weather conditions, from pedestrians to other drivers: The sources of danger are manifold. And more waste means more risks.
