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Nothing in our daily round of activities is as important as the safety of those with whom we work. Please regard it as an obligation to everyone in the field to provide us with the benefit of your wisdom and experience. Have something to contribute? Contact us at mswsafety@forester.net.

By Neal Bolton

Wherever there is trash—the curb, the alley, or the back lot—there will also be sanitation workers picking it up and hauling it off. There are more than 100,000 sanitation collection workers in the United States.

Their work is hard and sometimes dangerous. Every year, many sanitation workers are injured or killed while on the job, doing their job, for all of us.

Several years back, two of Rumpke Waste Corp.’s workers were involved in tragic accidents. One was killed and the other suffered brain damage and other serious injuries. Both accidents were the result of careless motorists.

According to the Farmer's Almanac, “Actions speak louder than words—but not so often.” But when it finally comes time to act, isn’t it good to know that there are folks out there who will? Well, in this case, someone was.

In response to these accidents, Rumpke Waste, in cooperation with the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) and McNeilus Truck, initiated a campaign called Slow Down to Get Around.

The program was created by Larry Stone, safety director for Rumpke Waste. Stone’s goal for the campaign is to help protect the lives and health of garbage collectors by alerting public drivers.

What Is It?

It’s a slogan. It’s a public awareness campaign. It’s a grass-roots movement to help all motorists become more aware of the dangers of driving near or around garbage trucks.

And it’s not just for a selective group. It is for the community at large—and if you operate garbage collection vehicles, it’s for you.

Interested? Here are some ideas for how to implement this program in your area.

Campaign Components
The campaign uses two major components to communicate the message of Slow Down to Get Around.

The first includes 30- and 60-second television and radio ads intended to educate motorists to the dangers to which service personnel are exposed. NSWMA has developed these ads under an OSHA grant. You may be able to use your company’s logo in a tag at the end of the commercial. However, if purchasing airtime is too expensive for your company, here are some other options to consider.

Some stations may be willing to air the ads free of charge as Public Service Announcements (PSAs). Contact your local television and radio stations and ask to speak to the person in charge of PSA spots. You might also work with other local haulers or service companies to share the cost of airing the commercials. If you currently advertise with a TV or radio station, they may be open to running the ad for you at no charge.

A DVD with the TV ad is available free of charge by contacting NSWMA at saferdrivers@nswma.org.

The second component—decals of the slogan Slow Down to Get Around—can be placed directly on collection vehicles. They are an important visual reminder for every motorist on the street.

Bruce Parker, president of NSWMA, says that the decals are probably the most effective component of the campaign. “The decals work by putting the message of safety into the driver’s psyche,” Parker says. Just as most drivers know of slogans like “Give ’Em a Brake” and “Slow for the Cone Zone,” the decals will make drivers automatically slow down when they see a service vehicle.

Orion Safety Systems (a manufacturer of safety clothing) is another major participant that has made a sizeable investment of time and resources in the program. Geoffrey Mather, the company’s president, maintains that it is important for all of us to take an active role in reducing the number of accidents, not only in the waste industry but wherever workers are at risk from traffic hazards.

The truck decals can be ordered from decal manufacturer Niehaus Corp. by contacting the company at 859-331-3733 or sales@niehauscorp.com.

Here are some other ideas for getting the word out to your customers. Consider putting a brochure with information about the program in with monthly bills. You can download a Slow Down to Get Around brochure from Rumpke’s Web site, www.rumpke.com. Or add the Slow Down to Get Around logo to your Web site.

The more often motorists see the slogan, the quicker it will start to influence how they drive.

So you might be wondering: Is this program really working? Well, it’s hard to tell at this point. Since the program is brand new—it was launched in May 2004—there are no statistics. According to David Biderman, who developed NSWMA’s Slow Down to Get Around program and supervises the association’s safety activities, the frequency of motorists crashing into solid waste collection vehicles and employees appears to be increasing. Biderman notes that “solid waste collection employees continue to have a very high fatality rate, and a substantial number of these deaths are struck-bys caused by inattentive or speeding motorists.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does publish statistics on pedestrian injuries. On average, a pedestrian is injured in a traffic accident every seven minutes. In 2002, 4,808 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States.

Certainly, the growing interest in the program indicates its success so far. “Currently, there are five to six private companies that are implementing the program,” said Jeff Swertfeger, advertising director for McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing Inc.

According to Larry Stone, “The program is doing quite well. There are a number of municipalities in Ohio that have come onboard. And it’s not just for garbage trucks.” Stone has also been in contact with State Highway Safety and Postal Worker representatives who may be interested in the program.

“Also, there is a host of large metropolitan municipalities in the process of getting approval to integrate the campaign,” says Swertfeger. Soon, the Slow Down to Get Around logo could be seen on service vehicles in major cities across the United States.

The program has sparked international interest as well. Parker has received requests for information from companies in Australia, Guam, and England. And again, garbage haulers aren’t the only ones implementing the program. A municipality would put the decals on all of its vehicles, says Swertfeger, including fire trucks, parking meter trucks, utility and repair trucks, and any type of vehicle that works along public roads.

Neal Bolton is a consultant specializing in landfill operations and management.

MSW - May/June 2008