Nov. 10, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Novak Sanitary Service.

Like it or not, winter weather is coming – and this season that means some important reminders when it’s time to take out the trash.

“The biggest thing we look at is overall safety, not just for drivers and the public but the equipment,” said Bobbi Nelson-DenBoer Novak Sanitary’s commercial sales representative.

Here are the key things to know this snow-removal season:

At home, be mindful of your container placement

Last season, because of the pandemic, Sioux Falls allowed garbage containers to be brought to the curb. That was a big help for trash collectors who have no control over how homeowners maintain their driveway and property.

So this season, “think about the path our team has to use to get it to the street,” Nelson-DenBoer said.

“Make sure you’re clearing a path on your driveway and sidewalks to get to the container, which includes salting. Last year with COVID, people were thinking more about getting those containers to the street, and without that situational awareness, we want to make sure people don’t forget about the path and potentially create a dangerous situation for our team.”

Businesses, your dumpsters require safe access too.

Businesses need to pay attention to the enclosure around dumpsters during snow and ice events.

“We look at having full access for the truck to pull the dumpster out of the enclosure,” Nelson-DenBoer said. “So we need the inside scooped, around the gates and a nice big path to get the truck in.”

Make sure those areas are heavily salted and sanded too,  she said.

“Salt is our best friend,” she said. “People can scoop, but the sun shows up in the afternoon, and by 6 a.m. the next morning, everything becomes a sheet of ice. It’s the same with driveways and sidewalks.”

The bigger picture

Keeping employees healthy and trucks on the road is critical any year but especially now, Nelson-DenBoer said.

“Our injuries last year were down because they weren’t making extra steps to the houses and back to the road,” she said. “We provide all equipment for drivers, including cleats for their boots, so we’re doing the best we can to make it safe. But at the end of the day, if you’re going up and down driveways pulling containers, the chance you’re going to get hurt goes up.”

And while Novak has had success attracting and keeping staff, we all know workforce resources aren’t unlimited.

“And we know people would like rates competitive and routes done fast, so doing your part definitely helps,” Nelson-DenBoer said.

Compounding that, if a truck is damaged, there’s no guarantee when some parts might arrive.

“That is going to be more sensitive this year,” Nelson-DenBoer said. “When something breaks down, we used to be able to overnight parts. Nowb there are trucks that can be down a couple weeks or months because parts are so delayed.”

That’s also why you might see Novak delay service during snow and ice events.

“Our drivers are highly, highly trained, but they still have to contend with other drivers on the road,” she said. “So sometimes when we don’t operate, it’s not because we’re as concerned about our drivers, but others hitting our trucks or other damage occurring to the equipment. So we’re looking at the community from a big-picture standpoint and trying to make sure we can keep our equipment on the road and not lose a truck for two months.”

Keep updated

When Novak needs to adjust service, it will be posted at novaksanitary.com, or you can call 605-338-7126, or download the WasteConnect app.