Yard Safety for Recyclers

About this course

Recycling yards handle heavy loads, sharp edges, fast machines, moving trucks and stock that burns. This course shows you how to spot hazards, choose PPE that people will actually wear, lift and load safely, lock out machines before touching them, prevent fires, deal with dangerous items in the waste stream, treat everyone at the gate fairly and respond well when something goes wrong. It is written by a working Nigerian recycling company that collects, buys, sorts and processes these materials every day.

Who it's for: Yard managers, supervisors, sorters, machine operators, loaders, drivers and owners of recycling yards, scrap dealers and aggregation centres in Nigeria, including informal operators moving to formal.

What you'll be able to do

• By the end you will be able to explain why safety pays in a recycling yard and carry out a hazard walk that puts the most serious risks first.
• By the end you will be able to choose PPE that fits each task and keep it in use, and lift, rest, drink and treat cuts in ways that protect workers' health.
• By the end you will be able to apply guards, lockout and tagout, and safe vehicle and loading practice, including a banksman for reversing.
• By the end you will be able to prevent fires in plastic and paper stores and refuse, set aside or pass on hazardous items such as batteries, gas cylinders and medical waste.
• By the end you will be able to run a fair and child-labour-free gate, report and learn from incidents, use a simple safety checklist and lead an emergency drill.

Course outline

1. Module 1: Why safety pays and how to spot hazardsAbout 10 minutes
   1. Why safety pays
   2. The hazard-spotting walk
   3. Check your understanding
2. Module 2: Protecting people: PPE, lifting and healthAbout 10 minutes
   1. PPE that works and stays in use
   2. Lifting, heat, hygiene and first aid
   3. Check your understanding
3. Module 3: Machines, vehicles and loadingAbout 10 minutes
   1. Machines: guards, lockout and authorisation
   2. Vehicles and loading
   3. Check your understanding
4. Module 4: Fire and hazardous itemsAbout 10 minutes
   1. Fire prevention for plastic and paper stores
   2. Hazardous items in the waste stream
   3. Check your understanding
5. Module 5: People at the gate, incidents and emergenciesAbout 10 minutes
   1. Fair and safe at the gate
   2. Incidents, checklists and emergencies
   3. Check your understanding

Standards and frameworks covered

• Factories Act, Cap F1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004
• Labour Act, Cap L1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004
• Employee's Compensation Act 2010, administered by the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF)
• National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) regulations, including the National Environmental (Sanitation and Wastes Control) Regulations 2009 and the National Environmental (Electrical/Electronic Sector) Regulations 2011
• Harmful Waste (Special Criminal Provisions, etc.) Act, Cap H1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004
• Federal Fire Service and state fire services
• Child Rights Act 2003 and ILO Conventions 138 (Minimum Age) and 182 (Worst Forms of Child Labour)
• ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety management systems