SWANA Announces 2018 Safety Awards Winners

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has announced the winners of the 2018 SWANA Safety Awards, which were selected by SWANA’s Technical Divisions and the SWANA Safety Committee for their excellence in solid waste safety.

Winners were selected at the Technical Division level, and an Overall Safety Award Winner across all categories was also chosen. The applicants this year consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to reducing accidents and injuries through communication, implementing best practices, training and accident review.

“SWANA’s Safety Awards program highlights top companies, agencies and facilities who have made excellence in safety attainable through creative strategies and overall commitment,” said David Biderman, executive director and CEO of SWANA, in a statement. “We hope that the best practices adopted by the SWANA Safety Award winners are considered as models by others in both the United States and Canada as we work toward our goal of creating a safer working environment for the solid waste and recycling industry.”

2018 SWANA Safety Award Division Winners

Communication, Education & Marketing Division

Collection & Transfer Division

Landfill Gas & Biogas Division

Planning & Management Division

2018 SWANA Safety Award Overall Winner

Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS) won the Overall Safety Award for its Live Safety campaign, which focuses on educating all employees at every level of the organization, their families and the entire Chicagoland community on the importance of the Live Safety principle. By creating a personal culture that instills a lifestyle that chooses safety rather than being told to be safe, LRS has seen a marked decrease in the cost of insurance claims.

“On behalf of all men and women under the Lakeshore Recycling Systems banner, we are honored to be recognized as a leader in instilling safety throughout the industry and general public,” said John Sliwicki, vice president of risk management at LRS, in a statement. “As an integral part of the waste industry, which remains the fifth most dangerous field in the country, we are proud of the initiatives taken to reduce incidents and raise safety awareness that extends past our organization. By tying the Live Safety message back to our community, family and friends, we are able to foster a mindset that furthers our safety values.”

LRS is the largest privately-held waste company in Illinois and has been serving the Chicagoland area for nearly 20 years. LRS owns and operates seven materials recovery facilities, a fleet of natural gas-powered trucks and is run by a team of 760 full-time employees.

This marks the third year that SWANA has recognized excellence in solid waste safety through the Safety Awards program. The presentation of the trophies will take place at an awards luncheon on August 22 at WASTECON 2018 in Nashville.