NWRA Announces Launch of its Third Safety Stand Down

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) announces the launch of its third 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 on water, rest and shade as preventative measures to pretext the health of industry workers as temperatures begin to soar in summer months.  The 2018 NWRA Safety Stand Down on Water, Rest and Shade launches on June 4 with a weeklong training and awareness initiative focused around reducing heat-related illness, fatalities and injuries, a common challenge for industries where workers spend considerable time outdoors. This NWRA Safety Stand-Down will include a daily focus on safety issues related to keeping cool, hydrated and healthy in warmer weather and will conclude on June 9.

NWRA has made safety its top priority, a pledge shared by its member companies. This Stand Down will provide participating companies with the tools, guidance and support necessary to move the needle on heat-related health incidents. According to the Occupation Safety Administration (OSHA), in 2014, 2,070 injury and illness cases with lost work days involved exposure to environmental heat; 1,160 cases (56 percent) occurred in the services providing industries.  The Waste and Recycling industry falls into this sector. Waste and recycling workers working in hot weather are at risk. Employers must provide safe working conditions and employees must be made aware of the risk. Through this Stand Down, NWRA aims to prepare companies to address this issue 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 the dangers of working in hot weather and provide valuable resources to address these concerns,” said Darrell Smith, NWRA President and CEO.

This Stand Down comes on the heels of the highly successful NWRA Stand Down on Backing that took place in February. This 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.

Courtesy: https://wasteadvantage.com