SWANA Ontario News
Read the latest solid waste industry news
*Request to the Ontario Minister of Transportation for Slow Down Move Over provisions to protect roadside collection workers
As part of SWANA Ontario’s efforts to improve safety in our sector, a letter was sent to the Ontario Minister of Transportation on the need for Slow Down Move Over provisions to protect roadside collection workers. The requirement for vehicles to slow down and move over on public highways is afforded to waste and recycling collection workers in many jurisdictions across North America. Despite being in place for emergency vehicles and tow trucks in Ontario, these protections do not apply equally to all roadside workers.
The response from the Minister of Transportation unfortunately continues to display Ministry’s lack of appreciation for the conditions waste and recycling collection workers operate in as noted;
“While other roadside workers who are not captured under SDMO [slow down move over], such as waste management personnel, operate at roadside, their duties are generally conducted on safer, more predictable low-speed residential roadways as opposed to high-speed settings faced by emergency vehicles and tow trucks.
We believe it is important for the Ministry to better understand the conditions waste and recycling workers operate in. There are more fatalities and severe accidents involved in waste and recycling collection, than in any other operation within the waste management sector. There are thousands of employees performing this essential service on Ontario roadways on a daily basis, in all sorts of weather and road conditions, including on Provincial Highways and high-speed regional roads.
We are asking SWANA members to consider working with their organizations to write letters or pass resolutions to support the inclusion of Slow Down Move Over provisions in the Highway Traffic Act, and raise awareness for the safety issues your colleagues face in performing their important and necessary tasks. The letters referenced in this note, as well as examples of resolutions that Ontario municipalities have previously passed are as follows:
SWANA request to amend the highway-traffic-act-letter to Hon. Caroline Mulroney-
MTO-Ministers-response-to-SDMO-letter.-
Private-members-Bill-171-slow-down-move-over-amendment-to-the-Highway-Traffic-Act
* IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR OPERATORS OF LANDFILL GAS FLARING & POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS – TSSA APPROVED STAFFING REQUIREMENTS
The authority for approving the design of operating landfill gas flares and energy generation systems and for its operation lies with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA). Our Chapter has been working over the past several months to arrive at a full understanding of what these requirements are for both the owners and contract operators of these systems. The attached notice outlines the results of this discussion with TSSA. Should you have any questions or require TSSA approved operation training, contact our office. TSSA Code B149.6-15 and Detailed Interpretation .
