SWANA Joins Regional OSHA Alliance

Silver Spring, MD - The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), SWANA’s New Jersey and New York State Chapters, and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Regional Office in New York have signed a Regional Alliance agreement to help protect workers from health and safety hazards present in all aspects of the solid waste industry.

OSHA Regional Administrator Richard Mendelson, SWANA CEO & Executive Director David Biderman, SWANA New Jersey Chapter President Brain E. Henning, and SWANA New York Chapter President Luann Meyer signed the two-year agreement during a virtual ceremony on April 14, 2022. The Alliance will work to reduce and prevent exposure to transportation hazards, such as backovers and distracted driving; slips, trips, and falls; needlestick injuries; heat and cold stress; musculoskeletal injuries; and other topics, with particular emphasis on outreach to small and medium sized employers.

“We are excited to be working with OSHA at the regional level to reduce the frequency of worker fatalities and injuries in New York and New Jersey," stated David Biderman, SWANA Executive Director. “There have been two fatal incidents in New Jersey over the past 9 months that could have been prevented through better safety education, training, and communications. This Regional Alliance will help SWANA expand its safety outreach to small haulers and others.”

“Public-private sector partnerships focused on worker safety and health training at all levels are a proven method to enhance worker safety in the waste collection industry,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Mendelson in New York, New York. “Partnerships like these make a significant difference in ensuring workers can thrive in a culture of safety.”

“The New Jersey Chapter of SWANA is honored to be partnered with OSHA’s Regional NY Office and our sister Chapter in NY State. This relationship brings together three organizations that are committed to safety and to promoting a safe work environment for all those working in the solid waste industry,” said Henning. “Our collective goal is to ensure that our workers are properly trained, educated, and informed about the many risks in the solid waste industry so they can return home safely to their families at the end of each workday. This Alliance is another step in the right direction for our industry!”

“The SWANA-NY Chapter is thrilled to sign onto this Regional Alliance with OSHA,” stated Meyer. “We are supportive of new and innovative ways to get the safety message out to our industry’s workers so that they can arrive home safely every day. Unfortunately, New York has seen too many injuries and fatalities occur in our industry and we want to strive to make that number zero. This Alliance will help us to reach that goal.”

This Alliance with the OSHA Regional Office in New York is another step in SWANA’s commitment to reduce worker injuries and fatalities through awareness, training, and education.