Dive Brief:

• The state of California approved a proposal to reduce the allowable speed for right-side operated sanitation trucks. 
• The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) noted that the measure could potentially threaten the safety of waste workers by putting the brakes on momentum building to increase the safety of waste workers nationwide. 
• The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Cal/OSHA) are the entities responsible for adopting the proposal.

Dive Insight:

Peter Melton, the spokesperson for Cal/OSHA said, “In response to the speed limit question, the board adopted the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standards recommended speed limit of 20 mph during collection from the right-hand, or secondary, position.” The ANSI standard governs the use of waste and recycling vehicles. 

A David Biderman, the vice president of government affairs at the NWRA, said in December that OSHA's proposal doesn't follow ANSI best practices. He said the organization is currently reviewing the board’s decisions as it weighs its next steps.

A NWRA recently released study shows that waste collectors have a higher fatality rate than firefighters and law enforcement officers. NWRA is also responsible for the "Move Over Act" in Florida and "Slow Down to get Around" bill in West Virginia.