.png)
According to new statistics from the Department of Labor, waste and recycling collection was the seventh most dangerous job in the U.S. last year, with 26 on-the-job fatalities. Photo: Waste ManagementThe next time you swerve around a stopped garbage truck, in a rush to get to work or pick up the kids from school, consider this statistic: 26 trash and recycling collectors lost their lives on the job last year, with many of the fatalities caused by traffic accidents.
The Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics released preliminary results today from its 2010 National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and reported that solid waste and recycling collection was the seventh most dangerous job in the U.S. last year.
Of the 26 on-the-job fatalities in the waste collection industry, six were the result of contact with objects and equipment, and 16 were caused by transportation accidents, with eight deaths occurring on the highway and a worker being struck by a vehicle in seven instances.
To develop its list of dangerous occupations, the Bureau considers the number of fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in that industry. The waste collection profession had a fatal work injury rate of 29.8 per 100,000 workers in 2010.
Nancy Nalence, safety communications manager at Waste Management, said the company understands the risks its workers are exposed to and takes action to mitigate them.
“No matter what type of environment our employees work in – hauling, at a landfill, at a transfer station or in an office – Waste Management wants all employees to go home safely every day. It’s our No. 1 priority, and we lead the industry in safety because of it,” she said.
Loggers, pilots, farmers and ranchers, miners and roofers all ranked above waste and recycling collectors for the most dangerous jobs in 2010. No surprise to viewers of “Deadliest Catch,” the fishing industry topped the list, with 29 on-the-job deaths last year for a fatality rate of 116 per 100,000 workers.
Alexis is a contributing reporter for Earth911. You can follow her on Twitter @alexispetru.
No comments:
Post a Comment