Waste management and recycling
Waste management and recycling involves the collection, transportation, treatment, processing, and disposal of waste materials.
This page provides guidance to employers, employees, self-employed, contract principals, contractors, subcontractors, and visitors to workplaces across NSW whose work involves, includes or is in connection with the collection and/or transportation of domestic waste for or by bodies formed under the Local Government Act 1993.
It is important to use effective risk management strategies to ensure the safety of workers and the public. This involves the identification of potential risks but also the implementation of proactive measures to eliminate and control these risks.
Work health and safety requirements
For businesses
As an employer or business owner you have a primary duty of care for your staff and you are responsible for work health and safety in the workplace. For more information, visit Employer responsibilities.
For workers
As a worker, you must take reasonable care of your own health and safety and to not do anything that would adversely affect the health and safety of others at work. For more information, visit Worker obligations.
Common risks
Workers may experience hazards while working in Waste Management and Recycling. Here are some common hazards and risks with advice on how to manage them.
Vehicle or plant use
Duty holders:
- conduct a risk assessment of each vehicle and item of plant
- conduct daily safety checks and regular inspection of vehicles and plant
- use audible and visible alarms to identify moving plant
- develop and implement a policy and procedure for each vehicle or item of plant used, install guarding to physically prevent access to dangerous moving parts
- develop and implement procedures to isolate energy to plant and equipment when undertaking cleaning, servicing, repairing, or alteration
- ensure that guarding is in place where required and emergency stops and interlocks are functional. (Recycling conveyors, concrete crushers etc.)
- ensure traffic management plans with suitable exclusion zones are established to keep people safe around all mobile plant
- train workers on the safe use of vehicles or plant
- implement a system to regularly check workers’ High Risk Work (HRW) licences to ensure the licence is valid
- provide adequate levels of supervision, considering the age, skill, experience and training of the worker
- ensure vehicles and plant are suitable for the task and only used for the purpose they are designed
- ensure all plant is regularly inspected and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications and requirements.
- ensure workers reduce speed and turn on headlights in inclement weather
- provide high visibility PPE and provide information
- train and instruct on the proper use of PPE
- implement pre-start checks of all plant.
For more information visit Plant, machinery and equipment.
Hazardous substances
Duty holders:
- utilise the risk management process to identify hazards, assess risks, and implement control measures
- ensure workers are informed and trained in safe procedures for dealing with unknown substances and hazardous materials such as asbestos, silica, lithium-ion batteries and dust
- ensure workers are aware of the risks associated with respirable crystalline silica (RCS), and PPE and other controls are in place if concrete/rock crushing is in place
- understand the specific requirements for landfilling asbestos waste as per the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014
- provide appropriate PPE and provide information, training and instruction on the proper use of PPE, including Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) to prevent inhalation of harmful substances from cutting materials such as stone, wood or metal, dusty powders and welding
- implement systems and preventative measures such as use of glove boxes or glove bags, dust suppression systems and misting, to control the risk of exposure of hazardous materials to workers.
For more information visit Hazardous chemicals.
Working at heights
Duty holders:
- conduct a risk assessment of all work that might involve working at a height
- develop and implement a policy and procedure dealing with work at heights
- prepare a safe work method statement (SWMS) before work commences, if the work is ‘construction work’ and a person could fall more than 2 metres
- have a competent person provide training to workers on the safe use of equipment
- ensure work is done from the ground or on a solid construction wherever possible
- use a fall prevention device, such as temporary work platforms, guardrails, or scaffolding
- use a work positioning system such as a restraint system and industrial rope access
- where it is not possible to use a fall prevention device or a work positioning system, use a fall arrest system, such as harness-based fall arrest, industrial safety net, or catch platforms
- consider the type of ladder required for the job, to ensure it is suitable and fit for purpose.
For more information visit Working at heights.
Hazardous manual tasks
Hazardous manual tasks can be harmful to workers’ health and safety. Workplaces must put in place measures to protect workers from injuries and diseases.
Duty holders:
- utilise the risk management process to identify hazards, assess risks, and implement control measures
- implement safe workplace designs to consider the hazardous manual tasks that may be performed throughout the lifecycle of the workplace. For more information visit Hazardous Manual Tasks: Design of a Workplace
- introduce mechanical aids, tools, equipment and safe work procedures
- train workers on how to perform manual tasks safely and the types of control measures implemented
- where wastes are manually collected, use vehicles with low bowl height, so that workers can avoid lifting bags/bins over shoulder height
- use mechanical aids to reduce the need for physical exertion
- provide appropriate PPE and provide information, training and instruction on the proper use of PPE to avoid lacerations and infections and to assist in gripping and moving waste and waste containers, e.g., cut and puncture resistant gloves.
For more information visit Hazardous manual tasks.
Slips, trips and falls
Slips, trips and falls are the most common cause of serious injuries at work in NSW after hazardous manual tasks, with both contributing to musculoskeletal disorder (MSD).
Duty holders:
- undertake a risk assessment of the workplace before commencing a task
- develop and implement a policy and procedure to manage slips, trips and falls, including a process to clean up spills in a timely manner
- ensure workers are wearing appropriate footwear for the task, and mats are used where appropriate
- have adequate lighting
- train workers on identifying slip, trip and fall hazards
- allow adequate time to complete a task within schedules
- isolate areas in need of repair
- ensure all incidents, near misses and other observed risks are appropriately reported and managed/controlled
- ensure regular maintenance programs are scheduled for floors/ground surfaces that follow the manufacturer’s instruction – this could be as simple as a cleaning routine
- ensure good housekeeping is maintained in and around work areas.
For more information visit Slips, trips and falls: on the same level.
Traffic management
Separating workers from mobile plant and vehicles is part of an employer's duty to provide a safe workplace on a construction site.
Duty holders:
- schedule work for the least hazardous times of the day so that visibility is adequate, as indicated by a risk assessment
- allow extra time for collection in wet weather
- design workplace layout so that vehicles and pedestrians are separated
- establish traffic flow patterns, right of way procedures, provide signage and implementing speed limits
- use bollards, barriers, safety rails and exclusion zones to separate pedestrians from moving plant and vehicles
- use spotters and dedicated traffic controllers
- watch for other vehicles in conditions of poor lighting or limited line of sight
- minimise waste collection in school hours and peak hours if a risk assessment indicates increased risks
- develop safe work procedures for work in one-way streets
- ensure that vehicles with runners work on the same side of the road unless a risk assessment indicates it is safe to collect from both sides.
For more information visit Traffic management.
Outdoor work
Workers face challenges when working outdoors, working in all types of weather and conditions, and often working in isolated areas. Risks of outdoor work include heat, cold, rain, and exposure to UV.
Duty holders:
- develop and implement policies and procedures dealing with outdoor work
- plan work routines to avoid working in the middle of day
- ensure workers regularly drink enough water, take regular breaks and are not showing signs of heat-related illness
- provide PPE and provide information, training and instruction on the proper use of PPE, such as, sunscreen, hats, hearing protection, high-visibility clothing, wet and cold weather clothing
- undertake a risk assessment to manage risks associated with large storage piles of material. i.e., green waste (internal combustion requiring wetting down and temp control), cardboard piles (internal combustion and combustion from contact with moving plant-fire controls/emergency plans), large piles of heavy materials such as steel (risk of falling objects).
Biohazard and clinical waste
Biological hazards pose risks for many workers in a wide variety of ways.
Duty holders:
- ensure that there are dedicated vehicles for transporting clinical waste which feature a body separate to the cabin, is completely enclosed of strong, rigid, weatherproof construction with lockable doors and is leak proof, bunded or configured to contain spillages
- ensure vehicles carry a spill kit that complies with the Biohazard Waste Industry Code of Practice for the Management of Biohazardous Waste (BWI Code)
- ensure vehicles comply with requirements relating to transport information, emergency information, vehicle placarding, and safety equipment (i.e. fire extinguishers and protective equipment)
- ensure drivers transporting dangerous goods are trained, instructed and supervised in accordance with dangerous goods regulations and keep records of training
- ensure drivers hold a dangerous goods driver license and the vehicle has a dangerous goods vehicle license.
Related information and resources
- Code of Practice – Collection of Domestic Waste – SafeWork NSW - Currently under review – updates here
- Household waste and recycling – Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
- Managing industrial waste – Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
- Waste facilities – Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
- Transporting waste – Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
- Business and government waste reduction and recovery – Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
- Disposal of asbestos waste – NSW Government
- Dealing with household asbestos - Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
- Asbestos waste - Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
- Asbestos waste strategy - Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
- Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014 - Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
- Clinical and Related Waste Management for Health Services – NSW Health
- Packing and transporting clinical waste – SafeWork NSW
- Dangerous goods: NSW overview - Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)