NWRA Announces Approval of Revised ANSI Standard on Mobile Equipment

The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) announced that the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved the revision of the mobile equipment standard Z245.1-2017. This revision replaces the Provisional Amendment from 2014 and the standard from 2012. 

Standard Z245.1-2017 applies to the construction, reconstruction, modification, care, maintenance, operation and use of mobile waste or recyclable materials collecting, transportation and compacting equipment. This standard identifies requirements for refuse collecting and compacting equipment mounted on refuse truck chassis: rear-loading, front-loading, and side-loading compacting equipment; roll-off and hoist-type equipment; grapple vehicles; satellite vehicles; waste transfer trailers; recycling collection vehicles; and mobile equipment with container and cart lifting equipment. 

The revision of standard Z245.1-2017 includes:

Copies of this revised standard are available on the e-store on NWRA’s website.

In November 2015, the association published the revised industry standard pertaining to the design, manufacturing, operation and maintaining of material recovery facilities (MRFs).The standard for “Equipment Technology and Operations for Wastes and Recyclable Materials – Facilities for the Processing of Commingled Recyclable Materials – Safety Requirements”, otherwise known as ANSI Z245.41-2015 was last updated in 2008.

The standard specifically addresses single stream processing, including sorting done mechanically using equipment such as separator screens, optical sorters, and glass breakers. In this method, material is quality control checked by employees performing manual sorting of the final product. The previous standard that was released in 2008 focused on dual stream processing systems more relevant to older recycling practices.

In December, the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed the final 2015 figures for industry and occupational fatalities. Total fatalities for refuse and recyclable material collectors rose from 27 to 33—matching 2013 for the greater number of fatalities since 2006. The fatal injury rate hit 38.8 per 100,000 workers—the highest level since 2006.

As the designated Secretariat for ANSI Standards for the waste and recycling industry for more than 50 years, NWRA also coordinates the ongoing development of new and revised standards for both equipment and protective gear.