Environmental and general services dept. implements changes to keep employees safe, healthy
Environmental and general services dept. implements changes to keep employees safe, healthy
The City of Tucson's Environmental and General Services Department has implemented changes to keep their waste management employees safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
OUR GARBAGE PICK UP DRIVERS.NINE ON YOUR SIDE'S VERONICAACOSTA EXPLAINS THE CHANGESTHE ENVIRONMENTAL AND GENERALSERVICES DEPARTMENT HASIMPLEMENTED TO KEEP (ALL OFTHEIR EMPLOYEES SAFE ANDHEALTHY.NAT (TRUCK DRIVING BY FORGARBAGE PICK UP DRIVERS IT'SBUSINESS AS USUAL NAT1:19-1:23 - "OUR GUYS AREREALLY DOING A GREAT JOB ANDREALLY STEPPED UP, THEY AREALL SHOWING UP." PICK UPROUTES AND PICK UP FREQUENCYHAVE STAYED THE SAME - BUT INORDER TO KEEP OPERATORS SAFEAND SOCIALLY DISTANT, THEREHAS BEEN ONE CHANGE :47-:51 -"SO WE STAGGERED THEIR TIMEFRAMES, SO YOU KNOW SOME STARTAT FIVE IN THE MORNING, 5:15,5:30." NAT (GARBAGE TRUCK1:57-2:06 - "MOSTLY THEOPERATORS ARE WORKING BYTHEMSELVES AND ARE STAYING INTHE CAB AND EVERYTHING ISPRETTY MUCH AUTOMATED SO THEYJUST DRIVE UP AND THEY HAVE TOJUST PICK UP THE CONTAINER ATCURBSIDE." IT'S OVER AT LOSREALES LANDFILL WHERE YOU'LLSEE (MOST OF THE CHANGES.
NATHERE - SCALE OPERATORS AREWEARING GLOVES - THEY HAVEHAND SANITIZER HANDY - ANDEVEN A PLEXIGLASS BARRIERSEPARATING THEM FROM CUSTOMERSAND HANDLING CASH IS NO LONGERAN OPTION 2:29-2:37 - "CASHHANDLING IS A DIFFICULTSITUATION BECAUSE SO MANYDIFFERENT PEOPLE ARE TOUCHINGAND YOU DON'T KNOW WHO HASTOUCHED THE CASH." HOWEVER -SWITCHING OVER TO (ONLYACCEPTING CREDIT CARD PAYMENTSDID BRING ABOUT INCREASED WAITTIMES - WHICH FORCED ANOTHERCHANGE FOR PEOPLE HAULINGGARBAGE TO THE LANDFILL3:52-4:00 - "WE INSTITUTED AREGULAR RATE WHICH IS 15DOLLARS FOR A PICK UP TRUCK,AND 25 DOLLARS FOR A TRUCK ANDTRAILER." A SOLUTION PAT TAPIA- THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THEENVIRONMENTAL AND GENERALSERVICES DEPARTMENT SAID ISN'TONLY HELPING THE LANDFILLFUNCTION QUICKER - BUT ALSOKEEP EMPLOYEES SAFE 4:03-4:10- "IT'S HELPING REDUCE THEAMOUNT OF EXPOSURE OUR SCALEOPERATORS ARE GOING TO HAVE BYPEOPLE HAVING TO DRIVE IN ANDOUT AND WEIGHT OUT." TAG -TAPIA ENCOURAGED PEOPLE COMINGTO DROP OFF TRASH AT THELANDFILL TO TRY AND MAKE THELEAST AMOUNT OF TRIPSPOSSIBLE.
HE ALSO SAID THIS ISTHE TIME TO BAG YOUR GARBAGETO REDUCE EXPOSURE TO THEIREMPLOYEES.
HE SAID THE CHANGESMADE HERE WILL STAY IN PLACETHROUGHOUT APRIL.
VERONICAACOSTA, KGUN NINE ON YOURSIDE.
