SWANA urges the safety of helpers riding trucks

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), Silver Spring, Maryland, has issued a reminder to not ride on the steps of a truck while it’s backing up because of the risks associated with that action. SWANA says the reminder comes after an employee died in a collision with a tractor-trailer in Nassau County, New York.

“We are saddened by this worker’s tragic death, which likely would have been prevented if he had not been riding on the outside of the truck when the collision took place,” says David Biderman, SWANA executive director and CEO. “One of the most important rules in the waste industry is not to be riding on the outside of the truck when the truck is going backward. It violates the applicable ANSI standard and is simply an unsafe practice.”

Biderman adds that one of SWANA’s Safety Matters newsletters highlighted this specific hazard earlier this year.

According to a news release from SWANA, the association provides safety resources to the solid waste and recycling industry, including a list of safety tips for industry employees. SWANA’s Safety Matters is another source of topical information for safety meetings and toolbox talks and is relied on by local governments and haulers throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, email membership@swana.org. 

SWANA will also host a Safety Summit at WASTECON in Orlando, Florida, on Nov. 1-4. This event will bring together industry professionals from the public and private sectors to improve safety at their agencies and companies.