Deciding whether to push or pull a loaded dumpster can have a significant impact on your health, and the health of your employees. Moving several hundred pounds of trash and metal unassisted is never easy and can be close to impossible if the surface isn’t completely flat and smooth.

Pushing or Pulling – Which is Better?

In most cases, pushing a dumpster will result in less strain on your back and is generally safer since it cannot end up rolling over you if you fall down. Even so, a fully loaded dumpster can weigh half a ton or more, making it extremely difficult to move even with two people on the job.

How to Alleviate the Problem

Dumpster tugs are designed to work around the problem of forcibly moving a dumpster by giving you a way to use a powered device to help move it along. Our tugs are designed to be operated by only one person, making it less likely that you will need multiple employees to handle trash collecting activities. In a hotel or apartment complex environment, this frees up maintenance workers to focus on more pressing matters surrounding the comfort of your guests and residents.

DJ Products has developed dumpster tugs that make moving trash around extremely simple. To find out more about how our products can benefit your business, give us a call at 1-800-686-2651

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Trash collection and disposal seems like it should be a fairly benign activity, but sadly trash rooms and compactors have been the sites of a number of serious injuries and fatalities over the years.

Compactor Accidents Can Have Tragic Results

One of the more devastating accidents occurred at Grocery Outlet in Redwood, CA. Mendie Udo, a 43-year-old janitor who had worked at the store for several years, was discovered inside the trash compactor by another employee. Responding firefighters declared him dead at the scene.

Although there were no witnesses, a spokesperson for Cal/OSHA said there was no doubt that Udo was crushed in the compactor and there were no signs of foul play. Based on the position of the body, authorities speculate that Udo leaned into the machine.

Enforce Compactor Safety Rules in Your Workplace

Any employee who uses a compactor should be thoroughly trained in its proper operation. Here are some other safety measures that should be implemented in your workplace:

• The operating key should never be left in an unattended machine.

• Always examine the inside of the compactor’s bin before starting.

• Employees should never climb into the compactor or put any body parts inside the bin.

• Turn off the power and use long-handled tools to clear jams.

• Point of operation guards should be firmly in place at all times.

Prevent Workplace Injuries with a WasteCaddy from DJ Products

Transporting dumpsters and waste bins to the trash room can also cause injuries. Visit our website to learn how our battery-powered WasteCaddy can improve efficiency and cut down on workplace injuries and costly medical claims.

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As healthcare costs continue to spiral, companies are focusing on preventive measures to help reduce injuries and illnesses. In many cases, government agencies are offering financial incentives as encouragement for employers to implement workplace safety measures.

Promoting Ergonomic Safety in the Workplace

North Dakota administers an ergonomic initiative through the state’s Workplace and Safety (WSI) agency. The goal is to reduce the number of cumulative trauma injuries, which make up 35 percent of claims that were reported in North Dakota over the last five years.

One part of the initiative provides for a safety grant to be issued to qualified employers who participate in the program.

• The process begins when an employer submits an application.

• Once the application is approved, the employer selects a provider from the WSI network to perform an on-site assessment to identify problems, make recommendations and conduct training.

• If any equipment is recommended during the assessment, the employer completes the second part of the application requesting a safety grant.

• Upon approval of the application and completion of signed agreements between both parties, the employer purchases the equipment and submits the paid invoice for reimbursement.

Could You Use Your Safety Grant to Purchase a Dumpster Mover?

Many workplace injuries happen when moving heavy dumpsters by hand. One of our clients explains that a dumpster mover from DJ Products allows this task to be completed by a single person, so it’s like “having another employee on staff.”

Don’t let workplace injuries compromise employee productivity. Visit our website and let our friendly sales engineers help you find the right solution from our comprehensive selection of battery-powered movers and tugs.

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Dumpsters are a perfect storm for employee injuries. The heavy weight and awkward size make them dangerous to push or pull manually without the aid of motorized equipment. The unnecessary risks include falls, slips, run-over feet, and collisions with cars or buildings.

More commonly, however, employees suffer musculoskeletal disorders from pushing or pulling dumpsters. These include muscle tears and strains, torn tendons, slipped discs, and other injuries to the neck, arms, back, and legs.

Why Workers Get Injured from Moving Dumpsters Manually

As Canada’s Ministry of Labour describes, moving a dumpster risks injury because it requires repetitive tasks and high force while promoting awkward postures.

• Repetitive stress injuries: Workers can develop conditions due to repeated, stressful actions without proper mechanics or sufficient rest time.

• Overexertion: Loaded dumpsters can weigh up to 10,000 pounds. No one can safely handle that weight 100% of the time.

• Mechanics and posture: The body is forced into high-stress labor at awkward positions when rolling a dumpster — especially over gravel, sleet, inclines, or other uneven surfaces.

What is the Employer’s Responsibility for Waste Handling Safety?

The U.S. and Canada each have federal and state-level guidelines for employer responsibility. In all cases, the employer must take action to prevent injuries and educate workers on how to use equipment safely.

To be safe, provide workers with battery-powered dumpster movers and train them on proper technique for lifting, pushing, and pulling heavy loads. These steps also protect the business from lost days and injury claims.

Take injury risk out of the equation as much as possible. Motorized dumpster movers from DJ Products mitigate the risk of debilitating musculoskeletal disorders and avoid the dangers of manual dumpster moving. Call a sales engineer today at 1-800-686-2651, or feel free to Contact Us through our website.

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