Trucks, sharps and heavy lifting — on the kerb and in the yard
Waste and recycling is high-risk work where the biggest dangers are vehicles — reversing collection trucks and runners working from moving vehicles — alongside manual handling injuries, sharps and biological hazards in the waste stream, plant at recovery facilities, and noise. Separating people from moving vehicles, designing out manual handling, and protecting against sharps are where the effort goes.
Most serious harm in this industry involves vehicles. Reversing collection trucks and mobile plant in yards and transfer stations strike people, and runners working from the rear or sides of moving vehicles can fall or be struck.
Where reasonably practicable, avoid working from a moving vehicle at all. Where you cannot, control it: no riding on the rear during reversing, low speeds, and clear procedures. In yards, separate people from vehicles with traffic management, reversing aids and spotters. See traffic management plans and forklift & mobile plant safety.
Lifting bins, bags and awkward loads — often repetitively, and combined with twisting to reverse and getting in and out of the cab — drives a large share of injuries. Design the work to reduce manual handling: wheeled bins and lifters, mechanical aids, redesigned rounds, and smaller loads. See manual handling.
| Hazard | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Sharps & biological | Needlestick from hypodermics, cuts from broken glass and wire, and contaminated waste — risk of infection. |
| Plant at facilities | Balers, compactors, shredders and conveyors at recovery facilities — entanglement and crushing. |
| Hazardous substances & fire | Chemicals, aerosols, and lithium batteries that can ignite in trucks and plant. |
| Noise | Glass collection and recovery facilities — risk of hearing loss. |
Protect against sharps with the right gloves and procedures, guard and lock out plant, keep hygiene facilities available, and manage noise. See lockout-tagout and occupational noise.
Kerbside collection and transfer often involve a council and one or more contractors sharing the same work, so the businesses must consult, co-operate and co-ordinate — agreeing who controls what, from round design to yard layout.
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Vehicles. Reversing collection trucks and mobile plant strike people, and runners working from moving vehicles can fall or be struck. Separating people from vehicles is the priority control.
Where reasonably practicable, avoid working from a moving vehicle. Where it cannot be avoided, control it strictly, including no riding on the rear during reversing, low speeds and clear procedures.
Design the work to reduce lifting: wheeled bins and lifters, mechanical aids, redesigned rounds and smaller loads, so workers are not repeatedly lifting awkward weights.
The right cut- and puncture-resistant gloves and clothing, procedures that avoid hand-sorting where possible, hygiene facilities, and safe handling of needles and broken glass to prevent cuts and infection.
Both. The council and contractor share overlapping duties and must consult, co-operate and co-ordinate, agreeing who controls what across the round design, vehicles and yard.
