When the sound of the garbage truck comes rumbling through the neighborhood, kids get excited. Garbage trucks make lots of noise and kids love watching the trash dumped in and get all crushed up. But playing around garbage trucks is unsafe. There’s lots of potential danger for your children lurking around those huge garbage trucks. You might think garbage trucks aren’t a big worry, but people need to be very careful around waste vehicles. Motorists need to be more cautious and slow down, especially during the summer break when they drive down their streets. Kids are out of school and the warm weather will have them spending more time outside. Often, a garbage truck might seem like it is stopped, but there are a lot of moving parts that can start moving at any moment. Don’t follow garbage trucks too closely because drivers make frequent stops and back up often. On the road, it takes two to three times as long for a garbage truck to stop as a regular vehicle, so don’t make any sudden stops in front of one or cut one off.

Garbage Truck Safety Tips & Standards to Keep Kids Safe

1. Do not play around a garbage truck. No riding bikes or skateboards, no games of tag or hide and seek. If you can’t see the eyes of the driver, they can’t see you!
2. If the garbage truck is beeping it means it’s backing up, so pay attention and get out of the way.
3. Serious injury can result from climbing around on a garbage truck, so don’t do it! Only approach a garbage truck if the driver tells you it’s safe.
4. Garbage trucks weigh around 25 tons, which is about the size of six rhinoceros, making it longer for the truck to stop. Stay back at least 15 feet.
5. Garbage cans should not be played around. You can get hurt from sharp items or hazardous materials not to mention gross garbage.
6. Children should never put garbage into the truck. There are a lot of moving parts and debris that can come out of the truck’s hopper when it’s compressed. Some dangerous items that can be inside garbage and can cause injuries include glass and sharp pieces of metal.
7. Children can become a distraction to trash employees and can interfere with our ability to do our job when they get too close. Please teach your children to respect the people that provide garbage services. Let us do our work, but feel free to wave hello as we pass through your neighborhood!

Garbage Trash Removal & Recycling in Franklin, TN & Williamson County, Tennessee

Know the schedule of your garbage pickup. U.S Waste Management prides ourselves on operating on a regular schedule so you’ll know when to be more careful and keep your kids indoors. On your collection day, it’s a good idea to keep toys and cars away from your garbage cans to keep your kids away from potential danger. Don’t let your children take the trash out to the curb. This is another step to keep them away from the trucks. Contact M&S Disposal Service for your curbside and backdoor trash collection pickup, and recycling needs.