NWRA organizes safety stand down to reduce heat-related safety incidents among waste and recycling workers
NWRA organizes safety stand down to reduce heat-related safety incidents among waste and recycling workers
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The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) has announced its second safety stand down with an emphasis on keeping collection workers safe during hot weather. Through this effort, NWRA is equipping participants with guidance and tools about water, rest and shade as preventative measures to protect the health of industry workers as temperatures rise in summer months. The 2016 NWRA Safety Stand Down on Water, Rest and Shade launches May 16, 2016, and concludes May 20 with a training and awareness initiative focused around reducing heat-related illness and injuries, a common challenge for industries where workers spend considerable time outdoors. This NWRA Safety Stand-Down includes a daily focus on safety issues related to keeping cool, hydrated and healthy in warmer weather.
In 2014, 1,160 injury and illness cases with lost work days involved exposure to environmental heat in the services providing industries. The waste and recycling industry falls into this sector. The NWRA is assisting with tools to help employers make employees aware of the risk. Through this stand down, NWRA says it aims to prepare companies to address the concern and provide employees the resources they need to stay healthy in the heat.
“The purpose of the NWRA Safety Stand Down is to raise awareness, prevent and teach waste and recycling industry workers and employers about working in hot weather and provide valuable resources to address these concerns,” says NWRA President and CEO Sharon H. Kneiss.
This stand down comes on the heels of what the NWRA says was a highly successful stand down on backing that took place in January. That stand down brought together more than 60 percent of the industry for a week of education, discussion and resource sharing to reduce backing related incidents.
NWRA says it encourages companies and partners in the waste and recycling industry to register for this stand down to contribute to a safer, smarter and stronger waste and recycling industry.
“NWRA, its members and partners in this stand down, are committed to safety,” Kneiss says. “This is one of multiple efforts NWRA is leading to move the needle on safety in our industry for our workers and the communities we serve.”
Additional details about the stand down can be found at https://wasterecycling.org/our-work/safety. The Safety Stand Down effort is using the social media hashtag #KeepSafetyCool.
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Source: Recycling Today
NWRA organizes safety stand down to reduce heat-related safety incidents among waste and recycling workers
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