Sanitation workers can face significant safety hazards

On Behalf of | Jun 12, 2018 | Workplace Injuries

Garbage truck drivers and other sanitation workers serve very important roles in our society. Unfortunately, when doing this unglamorous but important work, these individuals can face safety risks.

Safety hazards can pop up in connection to all kinds of sanitation work. This includes work tasks before, during and after recycling or trash collection. Examples of some of the more common accidents for sanitation workers are:

  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Accidents during the exiting or entering of trucks
  • Lifting accidents
  • Exposure to hazardous materials

Common injuries among such workers include sprains, strains and overexertion injuries.

Sanitation work injuries can get very severe. Statistics point to garbage and recycling work being among the deadliest jobs in the country. In 2016, the fatal work injury rate for trash and recycling collectors was almost 10 times higher than the all-occupation rate. It was the 5th highest rate among U.S. civilian jobs.

Many things can have safety implications for garbage workers. This includes: what safety rules their employers have, what technology and equipment they have access to on the job and how much safety training they receive. What would you most like to see sanitation employers in the Philadelphia area do when it comes to protecting worker safety?

Sanitation workers can face a range of challenges after getting hurt on the job. This could include difficulties with getting the workers’ compensation benefits they deserve. Employers and insurance companies sometimes drag their feet or throw up roadblocks when it comes to such benefits. Attorneys can assist injured workers with responding to workers’ compensation difficulties.

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