From summer uniforms to more breaks, Dallas sanitation workers given options to beat the heat
DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - The intense heat is taking its toll on the City of Dallas' Sanitation Department.
Both employees and equipment are feeling the effects, according to city leaders. That's why they've made some temporary changes to both schedules and policies. Waste collection is labor intensive even in the best of circumstances.
"About half of our collections, call it garbage and recycling collections, in the City of Dallas are done with manual labor using rear load collection trucks," said Clifton Gillespie, Director of Sanitation for the City of Dallas.
Add in 500 to 1000 homes on a route and scorching summer temperatures, and that job becomes downright dangerous. Gillespie said their priority is keeping workers as safe as possible, so they made some adjustments.
"So we did launch our own internal departmental summer safety campaign in late May and early June, formalizing the process that we normally go through with our employees, just to bring a sense of awareness and a really a sense of urgency to the issue of summer safety," he said.
They also provided alternate summer uniforms - light t-shirts, bucket hats, and cooling towels. Crews receive bags of ice and electrolyte drink powders daily and as needed. Temporary employees on the backs of vehicles can alternate riding in the cab to cool off.
"We've also increased the number of rest breaks that employees are authorized to take from two to four during the summer. And we've also made those rest breaks mandatory."
He said they have had a few heat-related incidents this summer. Three employees and three temporary laborers suffered minor heat injuries. Paramedics were called twice, but fortunately no one was hospitalized.
The heat is also affecting sanitation trucks, some of which have overheated and had to be taken out of service. One solution has been to postpone recycling pickup by a day in some cases. Gillespie said the best way to stay informed about sanitation issues is to sign up for service advisories on their website or download the Dallas sanitation mobile app.
