Simi Valley Landfill provides Simi Valley, Moorpark, Ventura and Thousand Oaks Recycling at Waste Management

Simi Valley, CA, May 17, 2008 - Summers should be spent hanging out by the pool, visiting with friends and relatives or driving to a vacation destination. But don't let the relaxed mindset set you up for accidents.

This Memorial Day Holiday, Waste Management of Ventura County reminds you to put safety first for you and your family. Waste Management encourages parents to talk with their children about safety while playing outside and to watch out for our large waste and recycling trucks as they follow their routes through your community.

"We're proud to serve our local communities, and our drivers love to see their customers while they're out on the routes, but we ask that parents and kids greet the drivers from the porch or the front yard," said Mike Smith, Market Area General Manager of Waste Management.

Here are a number of ways to be safe around Waste Management trucks:

Every Waste Management truck is equipped with a back-up alarm. Whether you are walking or driving near one of our trucks, if you hear this sound (a loud beeping) or see the white back-up lights, be sure to move out of the way of the truck.
Keep your children and pets at a safe distance from the truck. Never get near or climb on the truck — whether it is parked or operating. Do not play or stand in or around trash bins or cans, since you may not know when the truck is coming to empty them. On your collection day, be sure to move toys or cars out of the path of the truck and away from your collection containers.
Try to avoid cutting in front of or stopping suddenly in front of a Waste Management truck — or any commercial vehicle. Large trucks require greater stopping distance than a passenger car. Extend the same courtesies as you would to other drivers and keep a proper cushion of space between you and the truck.
Do not follow the truck on your bike, skates or skateboard. Our trucks make frequent stops and often back up. While driving, pass slowly as soon as it is safe.
All of our trucks are equipped with a radio or some kind of communication device that connects our drivers to our dispatch centers. If you are experiencing some type of emergency and need help, stand at a safe distance away and wave your arms to motion for help. Do not approach the truck unless the driver tells you it is safe to do so.

"While sometimes it may appear that our trucks are stopped, they have a lot of moving parts that at any point could begin moving again. Our top priority is to provide good service in a safe manner, and while our trucks have many safety features and our drivers are safety trained, we also rely on our neighbors to respond safely while near our service vehicles. It is always best to stay away from the truck while it is performing its duties," said Mike Smith.

In addition, Waste Management would like to provide you with some general safety tips from the National Safety Council to ensure your well being:

When you're driving, drive. Don't multi-task. If you need to do something while in transit — makeup, phone call, breakfast — pull over, put the car in park and do it then.
Don't reach under or behind the seat to retrieve things or turn around to talk to passengers.
Put the cell phone down, especially in hazardous conditions such as heavy traffic, higher speeds or bad weather.
Know the side effects of any medication you're taking and be alert for any symptoms of impairment, such as drowsiness, excitability, altered depth perception and altered reaction time. Many over-the-counter drugs can impair driving, particularly antihistamines and cough and cold preparations. So, too, can prescriptions, particularly anti-anxiety drugs.

For more information on National Safety Month, visit the National Safety Council's Website: www.nsc.org/.

Many Waste Management facilities offer tours or activities - if you are interested in seeing one of our vehicles up-close while it is safely parked, contact your local service provider at (805) 522-9400. For information regarding other Waste Management services, visit our website at www.keepingventuracountyclean.com.

Waste Management provides Ventura County with recycling, trash hauling and solid waste disposal through G.I. Industries and the Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center. Waste Management has owned and operated G.I. Industries since 1998 and the SVLRC site since 1983 and employs more than 230 people in Ventura County. The SVLRC provides approximately 60% of Ventura County's daily refuse disposal needs. The company operates a “green power” program at the site that generates enough power for 2,500 homes, and clean-burning LNG powers 38 of its trucks. Waste Management is a significant contributor to area community groups. For more information visit our website: www.keepingventuracountyclean.com.

Press Release