News | August 8, 2023
Once again, Association of Battery Recyclers (ABR) members are participating in OSHA’s annual Safe + Sound Week, August 7-13. The nationwide event recognizes the successes of workplace health and safety programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep America’s workers safe.
This year, ABR is highlighting the ongoing efforts of our members to zero in on safety. As an industry, we are proud of the work being done to protect the health and safety of workers as we continue to strive toward the goal of zero incidents.
To accomplish this goal, our members engage workers in rigorous, ongoing safety training that gives them the knowledge, skills and awareness needed ensure their own safety, as well as the safety of others. On average, lead recycling industry employees who work on the production floor participate in 32 hours of safety training per year.
Training methods range from classroom instruction and seminars to on-the-job training such as shadowing and hands-on experiences. Depending on their responsibilities, some employees may also undergo additional hours of equipment-specific training.
As a regular practice, management may use time at the start of shifts to increase awareness of new safety procedures or refresh knowledge of existing safety measures, as well as to discuss any safety concerns the employees may have. Workers also participate in regular training on facility-wide safety and hygiene topics as well as first-aid and CPR classes.
It’s no surprise that many lead battery recyclers work in demanding environments to keep the circularity of sustainable lead batteries in motion. Providing the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is another way the lead battery recycling industry safeguards employees for this important work.
Between 2012 and 2022, ABR member companies invested an average of $7 million in PPE per facility. From hard hats, safety glasses, ear plugs and respirators to gloves, aprons and boots, head-to-toe protection combined with training on its proper usage helps minimize safety incidents.
Check out this infographic to learn more about the types of PPE commonly used by lead battery recyclers, as well as all the ways our members work to ensure the health and safety of their employees.
For jobs that require prolonged exposure to heat, ABR members are working together to lessen the impact of heat on employees by continually updating heat-related safety practices and adding new PPE, such as cooling vests, cooling towels and ice jackets.
When it comes to employee health and hygiene, we’re proud to share that U.S. battery recyclers’ voluntary measures often exceed OSHA standards for our industry and provide better protection for workers and their families.
On-site hygiene facilities such as clean and dirty locker rooms, showers, and laundry services for uniforms required as part of PPE, minimize the potential for lead to leave the workplace on employees’ skin or clothing. Additional detection and prevention methods include mandatory decontamination protocols, including the use of body vacuums, handwash stations and lead-check stations.
Regular health monitoring is another way lead battery recyclers partner with employees to ensure they are safe and fit for work. This can include everything from initial employment physicals to regular testing that maintain thresholds well below OSHA standards.
When safety incidents arise or medical attention is required, many companies have fostered working relationships with local occupational health clinics. Some even employ on-site nurses or medical technicians, which provides an even greater continuity of care for employees.
To proactively prevent illness and injury, ABR member companies invest significant capital to ensure their operations meet, or even exceed, the highest environmental, health and safety regulatory standards in our industry. In the decade spanning 2012-2022, on average per company, lead battery recyclers:
We all rely on lead batteries to move people and goods, keep us connected, and power essential infrastructure and industry when its most critical. Nearly 100% recyclable, lead batteries are a vital part of our everyday lives, making the lead battery recycling industry integral to a safer, more sustainable future for us all.
Safely recycling lead batteries into quality materials that can be used for new batteries or other products is important work that makes a positive impact on sustainability and the economy. Which is why, today and every day, ABR and its members are committed to prioritizing the health, safety and well-being of our employees, their families and the communities in which we live and work.
