Finding new ways to keep waste and recycling operations safe is a longtime challenge for even veteran operators, but a little creative thinking can transform safety programs, said speakers at the virtual Waste Advantage Safety Summit on Thursday.

Speakers highlighted how small changes to employee engagement, paired with medium and large changes to data analytics and company safety culture, can breathe new life into safety programs for operations of any size.

The discussions come as the industry grapples with Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing that waste and recycling collection was ranked as the fourth deadliest job in 2023. 

“We can't accept that our safety record, our accidents, collisions and injuries, are just the cost of doing business,” said David Biderman, president of Biderman Consulting. 

Here are some of the takeaways from the virtual event:

Tuned-out workers are sending an important message

Simply scheduling regular safety meetings and training isn’t enough to create safer workplaces, speakers said. Employees will tune out content when it feels perfunctory or irrelevant to their daily operations — and that can lead to cut corners, mistakes and injuries, Biderman said. 

“Sometimes the guys in the room, they've heard this all before and they can't wait to get back out on the route,” he said.

Assess training materials and make updates when the handouts and videos feel stale, speakers said. “We found that you just have to keep things relevant. If you're going to be using safety videos and slides from 10 years ago, it's time for a refresher,” said Paul Zambrotta, director of safety for Boro-Wide Recycling, a New York-based recycler. And don’t be afraid to meet workers where they’re at: “It doesn’t hurt to talk about the Mets and the Yankees every so often," he said as an example.

Simply bringing in an outside presenter can also mix up safety messages in a new way, speakers said.

Boro-Wide is refreshing its safety training as part of its participation in New York City’s new commercial waste zone system, which has certain worker safety training requirements. Boro-Wide created a joint venture with another hauler, Mr. T Carting, as part of the process. The resulting safety training has been more lively and interesting as a result, Zambrotta said. “It's a great experience to get someone else involved, because you learn something new every time you do training, and we can add a fresh perspective to it,” he said. 

Safety training is also a two-way street, he added. “Get the employees involved. Let them tell you, let them show you what they've learned. Maybe they can teach you something.”

Accept that safety is more important than productivity

In an ideal workplace, workers do not fear punishment and feel empowered to point out an unsafe condition and will confidently stop work instead of ignoring the issue, speakers said. 

To create that type of environment, leaders need to actually demonstrate their commitment to that value. That might mean company leaders diligently attend toolbox talks — even the ones that start at 4:30 in the morning — “to send the signal that frontline safety matters,” Biderman said. 

Examples could also include offering workers small incentives for pointing out safety hazards or following safety rules, such as providing gift cards or other rewards, added David Bennett, public works solid waste director for the City of Scottsdale, Arizona. “You always hear about what people did wrong, but we also want buy-in by showing what people do right.” 

Leadership must be willing to look for proactive ways to prevent safety issues for frontline workers, even when it could eat into operations time and budgets in the short term, said Shawn Mandel, vice president of safety and risk management for Waste Connections. Safe workplaces are better for employees and also save money in the long run, both in terms of insurance costs and the cost to bring in and train new workers.

“By living out those operating values, the success of the organization, including the profitability, will flow,” he said.

In Scottsdale, the city was grappling with a “less than stellar” safety record about six years ago, Bennett added. That included incidents such as a critical worker injury, a crash involving a collection vehicle and a major yard fire. A few years later, the city was able to bring down both insurance costs and safety incidents in part by being willing to reach out to “key partners” for help — including state OSHA inspectors, he said. 

Scottsdale’s public works department worked with OSHA to conduct a voluntary compliance inspection, then implemented some operational changes based on the inspector’s feedback. That included adding new safety screens and adjusting workflow to prevent muscle strains and other issues, Bennett said. The department also added dash cams on certain trucks.

If all else fails, leaders must also be willing to let go of employees who repeatedly violate safety rules, Biderman said. That can be tough to do, especially when the employee is a productive worker and their role is challenging to fill, but “we have to drive home that it’s ‘safely or not at all.’” he said.

Data can offer insight into safety priorities

Waste operators increasingly have access to more and better data from sources like route optimization software, pre- and post-trip inspection reports, dash cams and fire prevention equipment. Speakers stressed the importance of proactively assessing that data for safety trends that can help prevent injuries to both frontline workers and the public. 

“You're never going to have a better data set than your own, because you have the ability to analyze it, slice it, dice it and make immediate changes that impact what you're doing inside of your own company to try and be safer,” said Nathan Brainard, division president at Insurance Office of America.

It can be overwhelming to know where to start, but data can help “figure out what your most frequent and severe incidents are and figure out what contributed to them,” Biderman said. 

Create accountability by weaving safety data into company key performance indicators and using the numbers to guide how to prioritize safety improvements for the year, speakers advised. Safety dashboards are one tool to help. 

Remember to pair that data with feedback from frontline workers, who are the eyes and ears of the operations, Zambrotta said. “The drivers and helpers might give you some great information on how you can be more efficient and safer. It's really just a balance between management and frontline workers, because we're all on the same team. We all have the same goal in mind.”