SWANA Announces Winners of 2017 Safety Awards

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has announced the winners of the 2017 SWANA Safety Awards, selected by SWANA's Technical Divisions and the SWANA Safety Committee for their excellence in solid waste safety.

This year, SWANA expanded its Safety Awards program and selected winners based on SWANA's 7 Technical Divisions, as well as an overall winner. These companies and local governments have all championed safety within the solid waste sector in the United States and Canada and demonstrated profound commitment to improving workplace safety.

Here is a list of the 2017 SWANA Safety Award Division Winners

Collection & Transfer Division
• Fairfax County Solid Waste Management Program - Biggest Safety Improvement
• McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing - Best Safety Innovation Communication, Education & Marketing Division
• Lakeshore Recycling Systems - Biggest Safety Improvement 

Landfill Gas & Biogas Division
• DTE Biomass Energy - Best Safety Innovation Landfill Management Division
• City of Vancouver - Best Safety Innovation

Sustainable Materials Management Division
• Maryland Environmental Services - Biggest Safety Improvement
• Hamm Waste Services - Best Safety Innovation

2017 SWANA Safety Award Overall Winner
• Hamm Waste Services - "5S Implementation at Hamm Material Recovery Facility"

"It's a tremendous honor to receive the SWANA Overall Safety Award for our safety systems at the Hamm Material Recovery Facility in Lawrence, KS," said Charlie Sedlock, Director at Hamm Waste Services. "Protecting our employee team members is the most important thing we do each day at Hamm."

The overall award-winning entry detailed the innovative application of the 5S visual system to reduce employee exposure to hazards while also lowering operating costs. Hamm Waste Services provides safe and responsible waste transport, single-steam processing, and disposal services to communities in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.

SWANA is a leader in the effort to move the waste collection industry off of the federal government's list of 10 most dangerous jobs; this awards program, along with numerous other safety initiatives, including the award-winning Chapter Safety Ambassador Program and the "5 to Stay Alive" campaign, are important steps in that direction.