Page 7 - July August 2017 Vol 35 No 2
P. 7

KIMBALL, JASPER, AND GRAYSVILLE              By Eddie Anderson

Automation Brings Benefits

  Smaller towns and cities face a            Town of Kimball: (L to R) Mikey Tuders; David Henley, Assistant Supervisor; Jerry “Smiley” Rollins; and Mike
variety of problems - budget problems,       Nelson, Supervisor.
efficiency problems, worker problems,        Town of Jasper: (L to R) Nathan Holder, Operator; Mayor Paul Evans; and Ronnie Webb, Streets and Sanitation
legal complexities and many, many            Supervisor.
more. But two of the larger problems
are budget restraints and the safety
of the workers. A disabling accident
may put a great strain on the munici-
pality, the work force as a whole, and
the affected worker. Even worse is the
dismemberment or death of a friend
and member of the municipal work-
force. One of the most likely places
for these accidents is the collection of
solid waste. This chance of injuries also
affects the budget. Exploding work-
ers’ compensation claims lead to even
higher premiums. It can be a spiral that
seems to never end.

  The 2014 Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries ranks the collection of refuse
as the fifth most dangerous occupa-
tion in the United States. No other
municipal occupation ranked higher.
The Public Works departments and
the supervisors in the cities and towns
are aware of the dangers in the collec-
tion of solid waste and spend many
hours and dollars on the education of
the work force. Three municipalities in
the Chattanooga area have all decided
to fight the problem by eliminating or
at least reducing the exposure of their
workers. They have discovered a solu-
tion to two of their nagging problems.
This is not an earth-shattering
approach. But the fact that all three
found the answer in a small time frame
is revealing. Their answer is the auto-
mation of the refuse collection system.

  Automation is not a new concept. It
began in Scottsdale, Ariz., in 1969. Be-
cause of the intense weather and work-
ing conditions, worker turnover was
skyrocketing. Marc Stragier, Scottsdale
Public Works Director, invented a new
way to pick up garbage. And the rest,
as they say, is history. Today amazing
strides have been made in refuse collec-
tion. But, the basic principle is the same.
You want to contain the refuse, collect
it with less effort and strain on the
workers, do this economically, and have
equipment that lasts for a long time.
6	 TPW July/August 2017
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