Focusing on Wellness to Improve Productivity, Safety for Waste Workers

Solid waste and recycling companies today can have all the bells and whistles technology has to offer in their materials recovery facilities, transfer stations and on their trucks. But without keeping the health and wellness of workers at the forefront of their business operations, how productive and efficient will companies truly be?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of worker deaths and reported injuries in the United States has decreased by more than 60 percent in the past four decades since the Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed. However, every year, more than 5,000 workers are killed on the job (a rate of 14 per day) and more than 3.6 million suffer a serious job-related injury or illness.

And solid waste and recycling continues to rank high among the most dangerous industries.

Serious job-related injuries or illnesses don't just hurt workers and their families but can hurt business in a variety of ways, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Implementing a safety and health program, however, can improve businesses' safety and health performance, save money and improve competitiveness.

OSHA notes that safety and health programs help businesses:

After speaking with industry experts, we’ve compiled a gallery of some health and wellness tips, as well as information on how businesses can incorporate wellness programs into their operations.