U. S. Department of Labor

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Directorate of Science, Technology and Medicine

Office of Science and Technology Assessment

Safety and Health Information Bulletin

SHIB 12-09-2003

This Safety and Health Information Bulletin is not

a standard or regulation, and it creates no new

legal obligations. The Bulletin is advisory in

nature, informational in content, and is intended to

assist employers in providing a safe and healthful

workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health

Act requires employers to comply with hazardspecific safety and health standards. In addition,

pursuant to Section 5(a)(1), the General Duty

Clause of the Act, employers must provide their

employees with a workplace free from recognized

hazards likely to cause death or serious physical

harm. Employers can be cited for violating the

General Duty Clause if there is a recognized

hazard and they do not take reasonable steps to

prevent or abate the hazard. However, failure to

implement any recommendations in this Safety

and Health Information Bulletin is not, in itself, a

violation of the General Duty Clause. Citations

can only be based on standards, regulations, and

the General Duty Clause.

Crushing Hazards Associated with Dumpsters and Rear-loading Trash Trucks

Purpose

The purpose of this

Safety and Health

Information Bulletin is to

inform employers and

employees, who use

rear-loading trash trucks

to empty dumpsters, of

the hazards associated

with not properly securing the dumpster’s

trunnion bars and failing to take other safety

precautions during the emptying process.

Background

Refuse collection workers face a variety of

occupational hazards. In fact, refuse collection

was identified as one of the most dangerous jobs

in the United States during the 1992-1997 period.

Refuse collecting and recycling accounted for

over 1% of all occupational fatalities nationally

between 1992 and 1997. While occupational

workers “struck by” vehicles account for a major

portion of these fatalities, other workers are killed

by contact with objects and equipment according

to Bureau of Labor Statistics 2001 data. Between 1999 and 2003, OSHA investigated at

least six fatalities involving workers who were

crushed when the dumpster became dislodged.

Description of Hazard

In January of 2003 the Concord Area office

investigated a fatality that demonstrates the

potential hazards of being struck by and/or

crushed by a dumpster while the dumpster is

being emptied into the back of a rear-loading

trash truck. The hazard can materialize in several

ways. First, the dumpster can be dislodged during

the emptying cycle if the locking bars are not engaged, allowing the dumpster to swing around to the

side of the truck. Second, the dumpster can fall if

the wire rope fails or if the hook becomes dislodged

from the dumpster’s lifting eye.

OSHA’s investigation revealed that an employee of a waste handling company was fatally

injured when operating a rear-loading trash truck.

The employee was emptying a dumpster into the

back of a rear-loading trash truck (see Figure 1).

The process involved backing up to the dumpster

such that the trunnion bar of the dumpster contacted

the rear of the truck. A wire rope cable was attached to the lifting eye on the dumpster. Then, the

dumpster was winched up to a point where the trash

Figure 1 - Rear-loading

Trash Truck
began to fall from the dumpster into the truck.

While the dumpster was in the elevated position,

the employee apparently operated the packer

slide and sweep of the truck. When this was

done, the load apparently shifted, pushing the

bottom of the dumpster away from the truck.

When this occurred, the dumpster rotated toward

the passenger

side of the

vehicle, where

the employee

was standing

and operating

the controls.

The employee

was killed when

he was caught

between the

dumpster and the side of the truck. In this case,

the locking bars (also called “latch-up mechanisms”) had not been utilized to secure the

dumpster’s trunnion bar.

Recommendations

Employers and employees should be aware

of the potential hazards posed by rear-loading

trash trucks, including those related to the dumping cycle. Recommended preventative measures

include:

1. Inspect that all devices used to tip up and

empty dumpsters into rear-loading trucks,

including the trunnion bar locking

mechanism, wire rope and hooks with

safety latches, to assure that the devices

are present, appropriately connected, and

in full-working order.

2. Develop a training program and

procedures regarding the use of securing

devices when emptying dumpsters into

rear-loading trash trucks. Train all

employees to cycle the compactor only

when the dumpster is on the ground.

3. Review and follow recommendations found

in “ANSI Standard Z245.1-1999

American National Standard for Equipment

Technology and Operations for Wastes and

Recyclable Materials-Mobile Wastes and

Recyclable Materials Collection,

Transportation, and Compaction Equipment

Safety Requirements.”

Among the relevant ANSI provisions:

• Ensure that no person removes or disables

any safety device

• Monitor the employee’s activities and take

appropriate action to ensure adherence to

safe practices.

• Implement a program for the maintenance of

the equipment which will incorporate the

following elements:

a) Requirements for trained, competent

maintenance employees or contractors to

perform inspection and repair work.

b) Providing for the cleaning,

inspection, and repair of equipment in

accordance with the manufacturer’s

recommendations and in compliance with

this ANSI standard, including regular

periodic inspections.

c) Ensuring that all required safety

features are operational and functioning and

repairing, prior to placing equipment into

service, any reported malfunction or defect

that affects the safe operation of the

equipment.

Figure 2 - Rotated Dumpster

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References

1. Drudi, D.; Job hazards in the waste

industries. Compensation and

Working Conditions. Summer 1999,

19-23.

2. ANSI standard Z245.1-1999;

American National Standard for

Equipment Technology and Operations

for Wastes and Recyclable MaterialsMobile Wastes and Recyclable

Materials Collection, Transportation,

and Compaction Equipment Safety

Requirements.

3. Dorevitch S., Marder D.; Occupational

hazards of municipal solid waste

workers. Occupational Medicine.

2001, 16(1): 125-133.

Figure 3 - Latchup mechanism and trunnion bar.

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