SWANA launches municipal incident data collection effort

The Municipal Incident Reporting Survey will detail postcollection accidents and injuries of municipal solid waste (MSW) collection workers and vehicles.

“To increase safety in the waste industry, it’s important that we are aware of where we can improve,” SWANA says.

Recognizing a need for data on the frequency of accidents and injuries among MSW collection workers and vehicles, SWANA says its safety leadership developed a simple, confidential survey that will capture needed, relevant information.

SWANA is asking leaders of MSW systems to provide information on their collection and/or postcollection accidents and injuries in 2015 through a survey. The incident data collected in this form will be analyzed to identify trends that can be used to help improve safety within the waste and recycling industry.

“I am very pleased that SWANA will be collecting important safety-related data from municipal solid waste employers,” says SWANA Executive Director and CEO David Biderman.

He adds, “The Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics data covering the industry is flawed in some respects, and this additional data set will provide SWANA with a better understanding of the frequency and most common causes of accidents and injuries involving local governments that operate solid waste collection systems and postcollection facilities. This [data] will allow us to develop more targeted safety resources for our members.”

SWANA will aggregate the data collected and present its findings at Wastecon 2016, which is scheduled for Aug. 22-25, 2016, in Indianapolis. The data collected will remain confidential and will not be shared with any outside entities.

The survey will be available for completion on SWANA’s website at www.SWANA.org. Participants may also download the survey and provide responses directly to Jesse Maxwell at [email protected]. Responses are due June 15, 2016.

For more information on the Municipal Incident Reporting Survey or SWANA’s Safety Matters program, visit www.SWANA.org/safety.

SWANA is an organization of more than 8,400 public and private sector professionals committed to advancing from solid waste management to resource management through their shared emphasis on education, advocacy and research. For more than 50 years, SWANA has been a leading association in the solid waste management field. SWANA serves industry professionals through technical conferences, certifications, publications and a large offering of technical training courses.