The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports waste management workers are in the top three job classifications at risk for injuries or death.
Workers who pick up the trash depend on the people around them to remain safe, said Paul Howe, Deffenbaugh Waste Management.
"There's the needle stick because the needles weren't put in the proper sharps container, or unfortunately, there's that situation where the driver is outside of the truck and he's struck by a passing vehicle," Howe said.
Over the past year, Kansas and Missouri legislatures adopted Slow Down to Get Around laws to promote awareness.
"Before a driver ever goes out on route we gather the group of drivers, and we'll discuss yesterday's events, we'll discuss today's events, and we always leave with a safety nugget," Howe said.
One of those nuggets is SAFETY, an acronym: See what's around you. Advance your filed of vision. Find a safe space. Evaluate surroundings. Think outside the cab, Yield the right of way.