Kirk Sander, chief of staff and vice president of safety and standards for the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA), was selected to serve on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Work Group. NACOSH selected Sander because OSHA recognized NWRA as an organization whose views and expertise would be valuable.
“Waste collection workers operate in all conditions, everywhere. This is an important issue to us and our industry,” said NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith. “I am pleased that Kirk will help advise OSHA and Labor Secretary Martin Walsh on issues that will help reduce injuries and illness related to heat for our workforce.”
Waste collection workers spend many hours working outside. In its weekly safety newsletter, NWRA devoted the month of May to remind industry employees of the dangers of working in the heat and how to prevent injuries and illness from doing so.
The work group will provide recommendations to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor on heat injury and illness prevention guidance and rulemaking. The first meeting will be in early 2022.