The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) recognized the recipients of the 2023 SWANA Safety Awards. This year’s winners are Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Department of Public Works, Bureau of Waste Management Services for Biggest Safety Improvement; City of Goodyear, Arizona, Public Works Department for Workplace Wellness Program; City of Tacoma Washington, Solid Waste Management for Best Safety Innovation, and Leck Waste Services for Best Safety Training Program.
“During the pandemic, we looked at companies’ Covid responses and recognized those who addressed concerns for our essential workers and kept them healthy,” said Suzanne Sturgeon, SCS Engineers’ safety manager and SWANA national safety committee chair. “It’s important now to look beyond that, and we made the decision to recognize how wellness programs contribute to health and safety of employees and how effective and multi-faceted safety training programs provide employees with various opportunities.”
Biggest Safety Improvement
Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works – The 2023 SWANA Safety Award for Biggest Safety Improvement goes to the Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Department of Public Works, Bureau of Waste Management Services. The Bureau of Waste Management Services fostered a truly collaborative approach where each level contributed from their unique vantage point to develop a comprehensive and effective safety program.
Workplace Wellness Program
City of Goodyear – The 2023 SWANA Safety Award for Workplace Wellness goes to the City of Goodyear, Arizona, Public Works Department. The City of Goodyear subscribed to the whole employee philosophy, encompassing the spirit, heart, mind, and body with the goal of achieving ultimate satisfaction and maximum contribution.
Best Safety Innovation
City of Tacoma, Washington – The 2023 SWANA Safety Award for Best Safety Innovation was awarded to the City of Tacoma, Washington, Solid Waste Management. For the City of Tacoma, it was via a Safety Coordinator Program that provides individuals with entrylevel training in the field of occupational safety for a one-year term. This has helped decrease their days away, restricted, or transferred (DART) rate by 44 percent.
Best Safety Training Program
Leck Waste Services – The 2023 SWANA Safety Award for Best Safety Training Program was awarded to Leck Waste Services. This is the first year that this award has been presented. Leck Waste Services used a proactive approach towards training and provided employees with electives that they could use to build their careers. This resulted in better employee retention and decreases across the board for recordable incidents, days away from work, workers’ compensation and auto liability.