Listen to “Earth911 Podcast, June 7, 2019: Recycling’s National Safety Stand Down Day” on Spreaker.
Recycling safety is the topic of Earth911’s interview with Scott Wiggins, vice president of Environmental Health & Safety at the Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI).
On June 12, most recycling programs and scrap yards will close down for an hour each shift to focus on workplace safety as part of Safety Stand-Down Day. Wiggins shares stories about injuries caused by the usual workplace culprits, such as slips, falls, and impacts, as well as medical sharps and lithium-ion batteries. He shares how to prepare sharps and batteries for recycling, noting that both need special handling and do not belong in your blue bin. You can help protect recycling workers by making smart choices about what you put in your recycling bin.
Learn about the busy environment where recycling workers process materials. One surprising fact: A major source of injuries is distracted driving by collection drivers, who have run over scrap yard workers. Progress in recycling must be accompanied by improved safety so that everyone, including the workers who handle your recycling, gets home safe each day.
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