CITY OF INDUSTRY RECYCLING FACILITY CELEBRATES OVER 600 INJURY-FREE DAYS

Four men standing in a row in front of three trucks while smiling and holding awards

Athens Services is celebrating 606 days or 500,000 work hours without a lost-time incident at the City of Industry Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). The MRF operates six days a week with over 100 team members, sorting and transferring more than 3,000 tons of waste, recycling, and organics material daily from cities in Los Angeles County.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), MRF jobs are the fifth most dangerous job in the world. Recognizing this fact, in 2018 Athens launched the “Road to Zero” safety program, a company-wide initiative to put safety first. The program consisted of enhanced daily safety training, integration of technology such as cameras in trucks and the facility, and the introduction of a dedicated safety lead onsite.

Since implementing the Road to Zero, the City of Industry MRF drastically decreased its total incident rate (TIR) to a remarkable level of zero (0) in 2021 and upheld that into 2022. According to the BLS, the industry TIR average for MRFs in 2020 (the most recent year available) was 5.1, putting Athens ahead of the industry.

“The achievement marks a major milestone and capped an astonishing year,” said Safety Director Jaime Britt.

Britt stressed the importance of recognizing workers and showing appreciation for their efforts and contributions to a safe work environment.

“Employees want to be involved, and asking their opinion is a high-impact way to include employees. It is a form of recognition that acknowledges the employee’s expertise, which we can all afford to do more often,” he said.

At an award ceremony honoring the event, Britt recognized 10 Athens team members, each of whom had recorded more than 20 years without an accident.

“The influence of these workers on their peers is immeasurable. It shows the importance of teamwork. Everyone wants to be on a winning team,” Britt said.

The team members who were recognized and their record of years without an accident were:

Efrain Olmos, Operations Manager – 42 years
Andy Lucero, MRF Supervisor – 34 years
Salvador De La Torre, Transfer Driver – 29 years
Rodrigo Vargas, Mechanic – 29 years
Jesus Martinez, Transfer Driver – 28 years
Carlos Guillen, Transfer Driver – 27 years
Jose Duran, Heavy Equipment Operator – 25 years
Jose Guevara, Operations Lead – 25 years
Alejandro Pedro, Roll-off Driver – 25 years
Ramon Quintero, Transfer Driver – 25 years

Athens Services is a recycling and waste diversion leader in Southern California. Family-owned and operated since 1957, Athens was founded on the simple principle of providing exceptional service, by hiring and developing great people, while fostering a safe, healthy, and sustainable environment; that’s The Athens Way. Today, Athens Services teams up with local communities, as well as private institutions and government agencies, as their zero waste partner.

Contact Information: Communications@athensservices.com