In October of 2015 the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the formation of an Alliance to promote health and safety in workplaces throughout the recycling industry. Through the Alliance, ISRI will team with OSHA to provide ISRI’s members and others with information, guidance, training, and other resources to protect the health and safety of workers within the scrap recycling industry.

One of the goals of the new Alliance is to promote a culture of safety within the scrap recycling industry that works towards the reduction of workplace-incidents and prevention of worker exposure to hazards. This includes those associated with powered industrial trucks and other machinery, insufficient hazard communication, lead, improper electrical wiring methods, control of hazardous energy, and others. Injury, illness, and hazard exposure data will be used to prioritize areas of emphasis for Alliance activities.

As part of the Alliance, ISRI and OSHA will collaborate on events such as ISRI Safety and Environmental Council (ISEC) meetings, ISRI’s Safety Stand-Down Day, and ISRI’s annual convention to provide compliance assistance for attendees, and promote and distribute OSHA, ISRI, and other available safety resources. Both sides will also include information within current publications regarding cooperative programs in which ISRI members could benefit.