Landfill and Worksite Health and Safety: What You Need to Know

Safety is crucial in any workplace or industry but perhaps one of the most crucial work environments for safety is on a landfill site and in the waste disposal industry. Whether you have never experienced the chaos of a landfill site or have no idea what it is like to work on one, no doubt you will still be able to appreciate how dangerous they can certainly be. More and more of us are taking the time to consider our waste. Whether that is how much we produce or more specifically, where it is going.

It goes without saying that landfill sites are vast and complicated locations with lots of hazardous elements to them. What’s more, there are going to be physical threats along with people and equipment interactions that are a risk to landfill employees as well as those within the vicinity of a landfill site and the environment. Moreover, through careful health and safety considerations, today’s professionals are able to eliminate unsafe factors and proactively lower the level of risks involved in working and being on a landfill site.



With this in mind, here in this blog, we are going to outline to you what it is you need to know about landfill health and safety. Whether you work on a landfill site or just want to have some clarity that the landfill site you opt to use is totally safe, such as W M Thompson & Sons Ltd. Read on to discover more!

What basic safety factors need to be considered?

In the UK, the law states that you must ensure that all parts of your site are well maintained and in good working order. As well as this, you need to ensure hygiene measures are being met and that a good standard of housekeeping is being adhered to in your workspace. As well as this, all contractors need to plan and monitor their work so it is done safely and without risks to overall health. This includes careful planning on how the site will be kept tidy and housekeeping actively managed.

Safety procedures are essential at every landfill no matter what size it is. A landfill safety program should be implemented and needs to begin with a thorough evaluation of each step in the disposal process. Possible issues that could place customers or workers at risk should be identified and decreased or taken away all together.

Safety Management Onsite

Annually, it is predicted that 1000 trips or slips on construction sites involve employees fracturing bones or dislocating joints. These accidents may cause severe long-term problems or disablement and cause a huge impact on both work and personal life. Lots of them are caused simply because there is something in the person's way, such as excess materials or waste. The right management of materials can lower waste, reduce cost whilst improving site safety and helping to safeguard the environment.

The following must be considered in order to allow optimum safety:

Identifying common hazards

Ensuring safety is key on a landfill site, moreover, observing best practices is particularly important in the areas where the majority of incidents happen. Safe and effective operations are dependent on strong cooperation and coordination between everyone involved including, clients, contractors, suppliers as well as employees.

Onsite training

On-site training is essential. While much training may involve basic logistical measures and day-to-day stuff that people likely know, it’s still important. As well other factors to consider include operational processes, this could be things such as training a landfill spotter on how to effectively carry out their tasks on a frequent basis or training equipment operators on how to construct a cell efficiently, it all comes down to safety.

A safety program in place

You might have already thought about this and if you haven’t it’s certainly considering and that is a safety program. The fact of the matter is that lots of sites haven’t taken the time to prioritize putting these down. You need to know the standard operating procedures for how things are carried out, and then a training program to train the employees on these specific things. 

You also need to have a program that tracks and reviews all safety-related issues being carried out. Doing so is going to permit operators to see what actions they’ve carried out, and also allows you to track the progress of how you are doing and see if you need to change your approach.

Waste Management Safety

Any waste produced can also present a real safety hazard to workers on-site if it is not properly organised. You need to know at an early phase:

●     How waste is produced during building work will be managed in a swift and effective manner. 

●     Who is going to collect and dispose of specific wastes produced on-site? Issues often arise when the company and individual duties are not made clear before work starts.

Top tips for waste management to consider when onsite:

Be mindful of flammable materials - be sure that all flammable waste materials (such as packaging and offcuts) are frequently cleared away to lower the risk of spreading fires. 

Clean work areas - ensure that you are clearing away waste as a priority so that you can ensure everyone’s overall safety and welfare. You need to ensure that everyone is aware of what is required in order to ensure their safety and that of their employees.

Skips - waste has to be stored safely and efficiently before it is removed from the site so ensure that you permit enough space for skips, bins and so forth. You need to plan where the skips are going to be positioned and how often they need to be collected.

Waste inside of buildings - think about the waste created inside the building and whether you have to provide wheeled bins or other waste disposal mechanisms in order to enable it to be brought out of the building safely.

W M Thompson & Sons Ltd - A Responsible Waste Disposal Site And Plant Operator - We Never Take Risks

You want to know that your waste is being disposed of safely and that those processing your waste are working in a safe and controlled environment. Here at W M Thompson & Sons Ltd

our business – and our staff – depend on the reliability of our machinery, hence industrial maintenance is something we take very seriously. All of our machines undergo regular checks and have passed all the necessary inspections, meaning that our equipment is extremely safe and very reliable.

We’re constantly revising our methods and processes to ensure that we’re up to date with the most modern – and safest – techniques in drilling, blasting and excavating. All our staff are fully trained and knowledgeable when it comes to health and safety on the landfill site and in the quarry. It’s one of the ways that we ensure a completely safe working environment. To find out more about the work that we do and how we can be of service to you, please feel free to contact us today. We’d be delighted to help with any further enquiries you may have.