The Illinois Department of Labor's (IDOL) Division of Occupational Safety and Health (IL OSHA) has unveiled the findings of its comprehensive investigation into the death of a sanitation worker in October 2022. The incident, in which the worker was crushed by a garbage truck, has led to several revelations and recommendations aimed at improving safety in municipal sanitation departments.
The incident occurred when a sanitation worker became pinned and crushed between a garbage truck and a brick fence column. The employer was subsequently cited for violating the Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Act. After addressing the identified hazards, the inspection was officially closed in October 2023. Now the IDOL and IL OSHA are left to use this as a learning experience.
During the investigation, three critical contributing factors to the incident were identified; The garbage truck driver had not received the required training on hand signals, the victim and the driver used audible signals instead of visual ones. the victim and the driver failed to maintain visual contact when the truck was in motion.
IL OSHA Chief Erik Kambarian emphasized the importance of maintaining safety around large moving vehicles, stating, "Working around large, moving vehicles is dangerous and unforgiving. Vehicle drivers must maintain visual contact with anyone working nearby, and, when possible, employers should enhance driver situational awareness by equipping large vehicles with camera systems. At the end of the day, everyone should return home healthy and safe."
To prevent similar tragedies in the future, the sanitation department has been advised to take the following measures: Ensure that employees receive employer-required training for safe operations before being assigned to an operational crew. Provide initial and refresher training on safe operations policies, closely supervise crews, and implement corrective actions when policies are violated. Ensure that drivers and laborers on-foot maintain visual contact during vehicle movement. And enhance driver visibility by using vehicle safety cameras.
The enforcement of occupational safety and health standards in Illinois is a shared responsibility between the U.S. Department of Labor (federal OSHA) and the Illinois Department of Labor (IL OSHA). While federal OSHA covers all private sector workplaces, IL OSHA is responsible for overseeing the safety of all state and local government workplaces.
The release of these investigation results underscores the importance of upholding safety protocols in the workplace to prevent tragic incidents and ensure the well-being of employees in the sanitation industry.
