Composting and other activities to recycle organic material can create hazardous environments which can be fatal to workers who are not aware of the potential dangers. In particular, composting facilities often have confined space hazards, which may have respiratory hazards such as hydrogen sulfide or carbon monoxide gases, or other gases that may displace the oxygen in the area. Workers must have proper training and permits before entering these potentially hazardous atmospheres. The links in the hazard section below provide more information on confined space hazards and precautions, as well as other hazards that may be present during operations to recycle organic materials.

Hazards and Precautions

• Collection
  
  
• Confined Space
  
  
• Forklifts
  
  
• Machinery - Moving Parts
  
  
• Unexpected Machine Startup
  
  
• Slips, Trips and Falls
  • OSHA’s Walking/Working Surfaces Safety and Health Topics Page

Occupational health concerns

• Respiratory Protection Safety and Health Topics Page
  
  
• Respiratory problems caused by exposure to dusts and bioaerosols.
  • Cab filtration systems [65 KB PDF, 4 pages]
    
    
• Musculoskeletal injury from manual handling.
  
  
• Dermatitis caused by poor handling practices and inadequate welfare facilities.

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