NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search

Baler and compactor-related deaths in the workplace - United States, 1992-2000.

NIOSH

MMWR 2001 Apr; 50(16):309-313

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5016.pdf

20021687

Equipment that compacts and bales loose solid waste materials into denser, more easily transported units is common in refuse disposal and recycling and is used routinely at recycling centers, manufacturing facilities, and retail and wholesale stores to compress paper, textiles, metals, plastic, and other material. Persons operating balers and compactors can become caught by the powered rams of the compression chambers while using these machines. Risk factors resulting from these incidents have been identified through surveillance findings and results of investigations conducted by CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), a nationwide multisource reporting system for occupational deaths. This report describes the results of two baler and compactor-related investigations conducted during 1992-2000, summarizes surveillance data from 1992 through 1998, which indicated that some employers and workers may have been unaware of the hazards of operating or working near compacting and baling equipment, and suggests safety recommendations for preventing future incidents.

Waste-disposal; Waste-treatment; Equipment-operators; Compressors; Machine-operation; Machine-operators; Industrial-wastes; Injuries; Injury-prevention; Mortality-data; Retail-workers; Risk-factors

MMWRB6

20010427

Journal Article

2001

16

0149-2195

DSR

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

WV