FOLLOW THAT SIGN: GETTING THROUGH A WASTE HANDLING FACILITY SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY

摘要

Navigating safely and efficiently through a large, complex transfer and recycling facility can be can be a challenging experience that requires constant vigilance and instant decision making by customers, many of whom may be unfamiliar with the facility. A crucial element to the success and safety of each customer's visit is a readily understandable and effective signage system. The owner of a solid waste system containing multiple facilities is interested in the same issues of safety and efficiency, but is also interested in having a standardized signage menu that can be easily applied and adapted to all facilities and that allows cost efficient manufacture of signs throughout the life of the system. This paper looks at a signage standards program that was developed for the Snohomish County, Washington solid waste system to demonstrate how a comprehensive program is developed and how it enhances the functioning of these types of facilities. The challenge in developing the County's signage program was to create a unified and flexible system which is applicable to the County's diverse range of facilities including: four major recycling and transfer stations, a household hazardous waste facility, and six unattended convenience centers (drop box facilities.). Each of these facilities had its own unique environment, architecture, waste receiving and processing arrangement, and physical layout.