Can Computer Technology Enhance Safety and Environmental Protection?

摘要

Computer technology is used to enhance much of what we do every day. Access to information, schedules, calendars, alarms and alerts, document storage and access, virtual meetings, data management, training remote monitoring and control, and the list goes on. How can these help us in the solid waste industry? It may be easier than you think! When you think about the overall goal of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and EPA regulations, they boil down to two things: OSHA's goal is to protect workers, and EPA's goal is to protect public health and the environment. In the solid waste industry, protecting workers is a big job: The trash business is dangerous! Safety must be incorporated into the way we do business. At landfills, we face being run over or crushed by large vehicles; exposure to landfill gas; and contact with sharp, dirty, infectious, or even poisonous materials. Confined spaces can have deadly atmospheres; subsurface fires can create voids that could swallow a person without warning; snakes, spiders, wild dogs, alligators (yes, alligators), and bears create daily concerns for an individual's safety. The list goes on and on.