Analysis of environmental risks and accidents at work in urban solid waste collection services

Abstract

The heterogeneity and the volume of solid urban waste generated daily cause difficulties in their management, which causes environmental impacts, health and public safety problems. Among all waste management activities, collection is one of the most relevant from an occupational point of view because employees are subject to physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic risks as well as suffering accident. This article aims to instruct companies to apply multidisciplinary management tools that conciliate and serve as a basis for decision making related to environmental and occupational safety management. Therefore, the Ad Hoc Environmental Impact Assessment techniques and the RMT Risk Management Tool were used to identify the environmental impacts generated and the risks to which employees in the urban solid waste collection sector are exposed. It happened through the collection of operational, environmental information and work safety data, in 2017, of companies operating in 7 (seven) municipalities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The Ad Hoc report showed that the environmental aspects of surface water, groundwater, soil, odor and air pollution, generate negative and irreversible environmental impacts. Furthermore, the analysis of accidents at work, the identification of the major agents that cause accidents at work and the nature of injuries, showed their high frequency and severity. In total 60 accidents were recorded and all occurred with garbage collectors. Among these, 13 had as causative agents “glassware, fiberglass, blade, except vial, bottle” and the most recurrent types of injuries were “excoriation and abrasion (superficial wound)” and “by cutting, laceration, blunt wound, puncture (open wound)”, both with 22% of occurrence, which generate work leave. Furthermore, the elaboration of Action Plans and application of the 5W2H Quality Management tool proved to be excellent tools for assessments regarding the minimization of environmental impacts and the control of accidents at work.

Optimizing routes of municipal waste collection: an application algorithm

“…Another important aspect to consider is the significant reduction of 26.15% in GHG emissions resulting from route optimization. This reduction should be factored in when addressing atmospheric emissions concerns and developing action plans to control emissions, as Molina et al (2019) and Ferrão and Moraes (2021) proposed. The potential social impacts, such as workload balance among employees and improved job satisfaction, should also be acknowledged, as emphasized by Zhou et al (2022).…”

“…The phenomenon of population growth coupled with evolving consumption trends has spurred a notable escalation in the production of municipal solid waste (MSW). Such evolution mandates an enhancement in the strategies pertaining to waste collection, conveyance and disposal, as underscored by prior research (Dias et al ., 2021; Ferrão and Moraes, 2021). Insufficient management of MSW poses a credible risk of precipitating public health concerns due to the amplified proliferation of disease vectors such as mosquitoes, cockroaches and rats.…”

Gestión del servicio de recojo y tratamiento de residuos sólidos y satisfacción de la población en la ciudad de Chachapoyas-Perú

“…La manera en la que los gobiernos nacionales y locales gestionan los residuos sólidos en diversas partes del mundo se da de forma deficiente Maiello et al, 2018) y es considerada como uno de los más grandes desafíos y preocupaciones para estos (Bernstand et al, 2017;Cervantes & Castellanos, 2022;Anticona et al, 2023); puesto que en diversas ciudades el servicio de gestión de residuos domiciliarios se limita solo al recojo de los mismos, cada cierto tiempo, lo que se evidencia en un incremento de calles contaminadas (Hernández-Vásquez et al, 2019). Así pues, este inadecuado manejo de residuos termina generando un terrible daño al medio ambiente (Ferrão & Moraes, 2021;Carvajal et al, 2022, Valderrama et al, 2018, y, a la vez, se convierte en un foco infeccioso generador de múltiples enfermedades (Saldivar & Ferreira, 2018;Quillos et al, 2018).…”

Manejo integral de residuos en una empresa prestadora de servicios de aseo: propuesta de mejora

“…El crecimiento poblacional y el aumento en las actividades industriales han incrementado la producción de residuos sólidos (RS) en las urbes, el mal manejo de estos ha generado impactos como la contaminación de los suelos y las aguas, el deterioro del paisaje y la afectación a la salud pública (Alcocer Quinteros et al, 2019;Ferrão & Moraes, 2021). Según el banco mundial, durante el año 2016 se generaron 2010 millones de toneladas de residuos y aumentará hasta 3400 millones de toneladas para el 2050; esto es preocupante ya que se estima que el 93% y 54% de los residuos no se dispone adecuadamente en países de ingresos bajos y medios, respectivamente (Kaza et al, 2018).…”