SWANA announces 2021 Safety Award winners

The association says the winners will be honored at Wastecon in November.

SWANA logo

Photo courtesy SWANA

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), Silver Spring, Maryland, has announced the 2021 SWANA Safety Award winners. The winners will be recognized at Wastecon in Orlando, Florida, Nov. 2, with presentations by some of the winning programs being included as part of the SWANA Safety Summit Nov. 3.

The winners are:

  • Waste Connections of Canada,Toronto District, for Biggest Safety Improvement; 
  • Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) of New Jersey for Best Safety Innovation; and, 
  • Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department (ACCSW) of Georgia for Best COVID-19 Response.

SWANA also is awarding honorable mentions to Whissell Waste Solutions of Alberta, Canada; Leck Waste Services of Ivyland, Pennsylvania; Burlington County Regional Recycling Program (BCRRP) in Florence,  New Jersey; and LRS of Morton Grove, Illinois.

“We received a record number of applicants, from public agencies and private companies throughout the United States and Canada, including many small organizations,” says Suzanne Sturgeon, SWANA National Safety Committee chair and SCS Engineers health and safety manager. “It is a testament to the credibility of our awards program and an acknowledgment that a SWANA Safety Award provides valuable recognition. At a time when many in the industry are faced with staffing shortages and other challenges, it was wonderful that so many agencies and companies shared the stories of their recent successes and inspire others to do the same.”

Biggest safety improvement

The 2021 SWANA Safety Award for Biggest Safety Improvement goes to Waste Connections of Canada,  Toronto District.. Its safety program is focused on personal one-on-one engagement. This approach resulted in the total incident rate going from a high of 53.8 percent in 2016 down to 6.2 percent through May 2021. 

This improvement was made by making changes in every area of the organization, including recruiting, training, staffing, scheduling and communications. New technologies were also implemented, including Lytx/DriveCam, an ongoing training app, electronic tablets, hopper cams and more. To improve communication and eliminate communication silos, the building was renovated to integrate separate spaces into large common areas to dramatically increase personal interactions.

“Waste Connections of Canada, Toronto District’s commitment to safety each and every day has been an inspiration to all of our employees across the country,” says Dan Pio, president of Waste Connections of Canada. “Central to their success is one-on-one engagement with every employee, empowering them to be their best and supporting them throughout their journey. That safety-first mindset drives everything they do. Through their extreme ownership and building a culture of safety, Waste Connections of Canada, Toronto District, reduced its incident rate substantially. On behalf of our nearly 3,000 employees in Canada, we want to recognize and congratulate the Toronto District for their success.”

Best safety innovation

The 2021 SWANA Safety Award for Best Safety Innovation goes to the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) of New Jersey. ACUA implemented a safety campaign to improve its safety culture by making the issue personal. The “See You at Home” campaign invited family and friends of ACUA employees to submit photos and videos to remind them of why they must stay safe on the job. 

The result was personalized messaging for employees about the importance of safety created by the people most important to them. This unique campaign led to a substantial reduction in workers’ compensation and auto liability claims, as well as an increase in worker engagement on safety issues.

“ACUA has earned a reputation for innovation in solid waste; for example, greening our fleet by transitioning to compressed natural gas and serving our communities with an array of shared service opportunities. We are very pleased to now be recognized for innovation regarding safety at ACUA,” says Janette Kessler, safety and risk manager for ACUA. 

COVID-19 response

This year, SWANA established a new awards category to recognize the industry’s essential work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 SWANA Safety Award for COVID-19 Response goes to the Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department (ACCSW) of Georgia. ACCSW enacted a robust pandemic response to protect its workers and the public while continuing service without interruption. 

According to SWANA, none of ACCSW’s facilities were closed during the pandemic, and collection routes weren't altered and no services were suspended. ACCSW demonstrated the successful implementation of its Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), provided ongoing safety information and training to workers, and embodied the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government’s campaign, “We’re all in this together.”

“The Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department has won many awards, but a safety award is special because it magnifies the most important component of any program—the people,” says Suki Janssen, director of ACCSW. “Additionally, this safety award is specifically for our COVID-19 response, which exemplifies the resilience and perseverance of our staff. I thank SWANA for this honor.”