Dive Brief:

• The fatality rate for refuse and recyclable material collectors increased in 2023, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The category was ranked as the fourth deadliest job in the country, with 41.4 fatalities per 100,000 employees.
• The related solid waste collection category had 35 reported fatalities. The category had 31 in 2022.
• Solid waste landfills had three reported fatalities, whereas BLS did not record any in 2022. MRFs had nine fatalities; five were recorded in 2022.

Dive Insight:

Waste and recycling jobs remain a potentially hazardous occupation, despite ongoing efforts to get out of the top 10 deadliest job category by investing in more safety training and technology for vehicles and facilities.

The only occupations that had higher fatality rates in 2023 were logging, fishing and hunting and roofing.

BLS reported 5,283 total fatal work injuries in the U.S. during 2023 across all industries, which was a 3.7% decrease from 2022. The entity also cautioned that it recently changed aspects of its methodology, which may not make the 2023 data directly comparable in all cases.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most common type of fatality event across all jobs, accounting for 36.8% of the total. This was also the case for the solid waste collection category, in which 24 of the 35 fatalities were attributed to transportation incidents. Another four were attributed to exposure to harmful substances or environments, with no further details reported on the remainder. 

The National Waste & Recycling Association, in an unattributed statement, said it was “saddened” by the news and that “these results do not align with our members’ commitment to safety programs and training.” NWRA noted an ongoing focus on safety training, including for smaller haulers.

Solid Waste Association of North America CEO Amy Lestition Burke said in a statement that the organization was “very disappointed” in the results.

“This data reinforces the need for safety improvements. The individuals who collect waste and recycling are making communities livable and sustainable. We all have a role to play to protect these everyday heroes,” said Burke.

“The increase in solid waste collection worker fatalities is concerning, and occurred from coast to coast and at small haulers, the large publicly traded companies, and local governments,” said David Biderman, a safety consultant and former SWANA CEO, in an emailed statement that also noted this was one of the highest rates in years. “There are a wide variety of contributing factors to these tragic incidents. We know what these factors are, and need to address them.”

The broader waste management and remediation services category had 87 fatalities in 2023; up from 61 in 2022.

That category also includes other jobs beyond solid waste collection, landfills and MRFs. The hazardous waste treatment and disposal category had 10 fatalities, followed by seven in remediation services and 16 in other waste management categories, including septic tanks.

This BLS data follows the recent publication of injury and illness rates. While injury rates declined for waste workers in 2023, illness rates increased.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include reaction comments about the 2023 BLS fatality data.