miami dumpster services in a dangerous job

Posted on July 15, 2012 by mcooper

Editor’s note: On the Streets is a roundup of some of the mishaps, crashes and quirky news from the frontlines of the industry. Its purpose is not to make light of misfortune but to remind us all to remain diligent about safety.

A 66-year-old transfer station worker in Leandro, Calif., was struck and killed by a bulldozer as she directed traffic at the facility’s public drop-off area on June 18.

The woman’s legs and hips were crushed just before 3 p.m. She died later at the hospital.

The driver of the bulldozer, an employee at the facility for more than 20 years, was placed on administrative leave. The woman was wearing a hardhat and a bright yellow vest. The incident is being investigated by Cal-OSHA.

Mechanic crushed

A 57-year-old mechanic working under a garbage truck in Jefferson Parish, La., was crushed to death June 26 when a co-worker, unaware that the mechanic was under the vehicle, began driving it. The incident occurred just after 6:30 p.m. The mechanic died on the scene.

Woman killed

A head-on collision involving a garbage truck and two other vehicles killed a 67-year-old woman June 21 in Lafayette, Colo. Witnesses say the woman’s Chevy sedan drifted left of center and into the path of the oncoming garbage truck.

Acid in trash

A garbage collector in Wyckoff, N.J., was hospitalized June 11 when a plastic bottle containing hydrochloric acid exploded in his truck’s hopper, spraying him in the eyes and face. The worker also complained of breathing difficulties.

What a mess

A 29-year-old Chicago driver ran a red light in her Hyundai and crashed into a garbage truck, which then swerved and smashed into seven parked cars, two trees and several signposts on June 17. The car’s driver was cited for driving too fast in wet conditions and disobeying a red light. No one was injured.

Head-on crash

A garbage truck went left-of-center and smashed into a bus in Lonaconing, Md., June 28, sending both drivers and two bus passengers to the hospital. Officials say the garbage truck crossed a double yellow line and veered into the path of the bus. The collision ripped open the driver’s side of the bus and knocked out power to several homes. The crash remains under investigation.

Truck hit

Emergency officials had to shut down an interstate in Cheshire, Conn., after a motorist slammed into a disabled garbage truck on the side of the road on July 2. The car’s driver had to be flown to a nearby hospital with what were described as injuries that were not life-threatening. The driver of the truck, outside the vehicle at the time of the crash, was not hurt.

Fireworks ignite truck

Fire officials in Portland, Ore., responded to a July 4 garbage-truck fire that was sparked by discarded fireworks. The blaze ignited a mattress in the trash truck and spread quickly. No one was hurt.

Through a wall

A man was hospitalized after he drove his car through the wall of a Pulaski, N.Y., recycling center on June 25. His injuries were not serious.

Truck in cemetery

A disabled garbage truck rolled backward down a hill and into a cemetery, knocking over almost a dozen gravestones June 22 in Chippewa Township, Ohio. The truck had been left in a nearby parking lot after it sustained a hydraulic problem. Some of the headstones date to the 19th century and were illegible, according to an official.

Party foul

As a Castro Valley, Calif., woman was preparing her home for her daughter’s high school graduation party the morning of June 14, she heard a loud crash. She then watched as her wall collapsed. A garbage truck’s brakes had failed, sending it into her home. Power was also knocked out to nearby homes.

No one was injured, but witnesses say the truck driver was visibly shaken.

The mother told local media the crash spoiled her daughter’s party.

“She wanted to be the center of attention,” she said. “But now this is.”

Compiled from wire and local media reports by Waste & Recycling News staff. To contribute to On the Streets, call 313-446-6767 or email WRN editor John Campanelli at jcampanelli@wasterecyclingnews.com.

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