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More garbage workers are killed while on the clock than police or firefighters.
Retweeted by Ken Ward Jr.: https://twitter.com/Kenwardjr
A dirty and deadly job: More garbage workers are killed while on the clock than police or firefighters. http://bit.ly/2wxkAgS
Link to tweet
States Hope to Make One of the Dirtiest, Deadliest Jobs a Little Safer
Garbage workers are killed on the job more often than police or firefighters.
BY DANIEL C. VOCK | AUGUST 10, 2017
Collecting trash is one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. In fact, garbage workers are far more likely to die on the job than police officers or professional firefighters.
One of the biggest dangers they face is being hit by other drivers swerving to pass the trucks along their routes. That’s why lawmakers in 16 states have passed “Slow Down to Get Around” laws in recent years.
The details vary, but most of the laws increase penalties for drivers who hit trash workers. In many cases, the laws also require drivers to treat trash trucks the same way they would treat emergency vehicles: by changing lanes or traveling at 10 to 15 mph slower than the posted speed limit.
The legislative push comes at a time when fatality rates for trash workers are on the rise: They hit their highest point in a decade in 2015, the last year for which federal data is available. Not all of those on-the-job deaths were caused by traffic crashes, but some say that risk is rising because of distracted driving.
....
Daniel C. Vock | Staff Writer | dvock@governing.com | https://twitter.com/danvock
Garbage workers are killed on the job more often than police or firefighters.
BY DANIEL C. VOCK | AUGUST 10, 2017
Collecting trash is one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. In fact, garbage workers are far more likely to die on the job than police officers or professional firefighters.
One of the biggest dangers they face is being hit by other drivers swerving to pass the trucks along their routes. That’s why lawmakers in 16 states have passed “Slow Down to Get Around” laws in recent years.
The details vary, but most of the laws increase penalties for drivers who hit trash workers. In many cases, the laws also require drivers to treat trash trucks the same way they would treat emergency vehicles: by changing lanes or traveling at 10 to 15 mph slower than the posted speed limit.
The legislative push comes at a time when fatality rates for trash workers are on the rise: They hit their highest point in a decade in 2015, the last year for which federal data is available. Not all of those on-the-job deaths were caused by traffic crashes, but some say that risk is rising because of distracted driving.
....
Daniel C. Vock | Staff Writer | dvock@governing.com | https://twitter.com/danvock
