Wisconsin Legislature Passes Waste Worker Safety Bill

The Wisconsin legislature has passed a bill to protect waste workers in the state.

Senate Bill 145, which has the strong backing of the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA), passed the Senate by a 31-1 vote and the Assembly by a 52-38 vote, according to the state legislature website, and now goes to the governor to be signed into law.

The “Slow Down to Get Around” bill would double the fines for moving violations committed while going around sanitation trucks. It was introduced by Rep. John Jagler (R-Watertown) and co-sponsored by state Sen. Paul Farrow (R-Pewaukee).

“NSWMA is very pleased that the Wisconsin legislature moved quickly to approve this important worker safety measure,” said David Biderman, vice president for government affairs for the association, in an e-mail. “ We will be looking for opportunities to enact similar legislation in other states.”

Jagler authored the bill following an accident that happened to one of his constituents, Mark Friend, a sanitation worker. Friend lost a leg after being pinned between a vehicle and a waste truck while emptying a trash container.