The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) published its latest data on worker fatalities, noting a drastic increase in 2022 following a plummet in 2021.
There were 46 solid waste industry worker fatalities in 2022 compared to 28 the year before, a 65 percent increase. David Biderman, SWANA Executive Director & CEO, expressed the organization's disappointment.
“The 2022 data is a reminder that we need to make sure that safety is a core value across all lines of business, in collection, post-collection, and maintenance, and at small and large companies and agencies in both the public and private sectors,” Biderman said.
The US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) noted refuse and recyclable materials collection dropped to the seventh most deadliest job in the United States in its 2021 National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.
SWANA further noted that public sector workers comprised of a larger percentage of fatalities in 2022, compared to previous years.
"About 35 percent of all solid waste workers killed last year worked in the public sector, whereas the average was around 21 percent over the past four years," it stated.
Fatality causes also were analyzed. Struck-by-own truck incidents continue to top the list. While collection is the leading type of work in the industry for fatalities, post-collection and maintenance both experienced jumps in fatalities in 2022, which directly contributed to the sharp rise in worker deaths.
SWANA further noted that:
- Fatal incidents at materials recovery facilities (MRFs) jumped from one in 2021 to seven in 2022. Fatalities at landfills went from five to eight in 2022.
- Maintenance also contributed to the rise in worker fatalities in 2022, with four people being killed while working on trucks. Three of these incidents involved working on or around hydraulics.
- Mechanical-related fatalities as a whole led the list of fatal events for the first time since SWANA has tracked this data.
- In addition to truck maintenance, work on and around shredders, balers, compactors and other equipment led to 11 worker deaths in 2022.
- Single-vehicle crashes were again the second leading cause of fatal incidents.