Dive Brief:

• The Solid Waste Association of North America has announced a new Safety Ambassador program across its 45 chapters in the U.S. and Canada, which will identify one member per chapter to serve as the "safety ambassador." 
• Each ambassador will be seen as a resource to answer safety and compliance-related questions, provide information, and speak at chapter events about how to reduce accidents and injuries. 
• The Safety Ambassador initiative is being sponsored by Alliance Wireless Technology, Inc. (AWTI). "Efforts such as this strengthen and promote the most important principle we must strive for ... making sure every employee and hte public they interface with go home safe everyday," said AWTI President and CEO Darrick Reed.

Dive Insight:

SWANA CEO David Biderman has continuously expressed the importance for increased safety in the industry, especially since recent Bureau of Labor Statistics Reports have shown an increase in fatalities and injuries across the waste management sector. 

"By having Safety Ambassadors in each chapter, members from coast to coast will have a go-to person for safety-related questions and information," said Biderman in a press release. "This will be an important component of our effort to get the industry off of the federal government’s list of 10 most dangerous jobs."

SWANA's Florida Chapter has already elected Chad Grecsek as its safety ambassador. "As the newly appointed [ambassador], I look forward to this challenge and working with colleagues both in the public and private sectors to evaluate the data and identify innovative and proven solutions that aim to reduce health and safety related incidents," he said. 

SWANA has recently acted in other safety initiatives, such as distributing 'Slow Down to Get Around' decals to all association members as a way to increase safety awareness on the road.