In recent years, the Environmental Protection Bureau, Nantou County Government has taken “preventing occupational accidents and reducing risks” as its guiding principle in reviewing and improving the occupational safety and health management practices of sanitation teams. Through identifying high-risk work activities, establishing corrective action plans and follow-up mechanisms, and assisting sanitation teams across the county’s townships and cities in implementing effective safety management, the Bureau is gradually building a safer and more protective working environment.
The Bureau noted that sanitation workers face a wide range of occupational hazards while carrying out waste collection and environmental maintenance duties, including vehicle operation, equipment use, exposure to hazardous chemicals, and working in high-temperature conditions. To prevent workplace accidents, the Bureau has shifted its approach to emphasize early hazard identification and timely corrective action. Based on actual conditions at work sites, it provides practical recommendations, including revising work procedures, strengthening protective facilities, and improving workflow and worksite layouts, ensuring that safety management is integrated into everyday operations rather than existing only on paper.
As a result of these improvement efforts, most sanitation team facilities have completed electrical safety reviews, upgraded aging equipment, and installed ground-fault protection devices. Hazardous chemical management has also been strengthened through clear labeling, comprehensive chemical inventories, and the proper display of Safety Data Sheets, reducing the risk of improper handling. In addition, regular health examinations have been incorporated into occupational health management to help identify workers’ health conditions at an early stage and provide a basis for adjusting work assignments when necessary.
Director-general Yi-shu Li of the Bureau stated that sanitation workers, who have long been dedicated to maintaining the county’s environment, are an indispensable pillar of the community’s daily operations. The county government will continue to invest resources in strengthening occupational safety management and fostering a “safety first” workplace culture across all sanitation teams. Through these ongoing efforts, the Bureau aims to provide a safer and healthier working environment, ensuring that sanitation workers can perform their duties with confidence and return home safely each day.
