Dive Brief:
- The Dallas City Attorney's Office on Wednesday will ask the City Council to pay former Republic Services driver Manuel Enriquez and his attorneys $215,000 after he was run over by a bulldozer on Oct. 11, 2012, at the city-owned McCommas Bluff Landfill.
- The city and Enriquez’s attorneys agreed to the dollar amount during court-ordered mediation in advance of a November 2015 trial.
- Enriquez said he has had both knees operated on, and is unable to work because of back and knee problems.
Dive Insight:
Waste and recycling can be a dangerous industry, which is why safety practices are so important for employees. In Dallas, Enriquez was standing beside his truck when a landfill bulldozer operator hit him from behind — an injury that may have been prevented with more safety training.
Other workers in the industry have been hurt or killed when they were caught or crushed in balers and other heavy machinery during maintenance; struck by vehicles like forklifts, bulldozers and trucks; and crushed by falling bales or buried by debris.
SWANA offers a Landfill Operations course which includes a component on landfill safety.
Other workers in the industry, such as trash haulers, are being protected by initiatives currently being adopted nationwide. The National Waste & Recycling Association has spearheaded the nationwide effort for states to adopt the "Slow Down to Get Around" legislation that Ohio started 10 years ago to encourage motorists to slow down around waste trucks and crews. Eight states have enacted similar laws.
