Emphasize Safety During the Halloween Holiday
by Ranger Kidwell-Ross, editor
WorldSweeper.com
The upcoming Halloween holiday is unquestionably one of the most dangerous nights for sweeper operators to navigate. If you are a sweeping contractor with parking area routes then be sure to have a safety meeting with your operators to discuss the very real safety concerns surrounding trick-or-treaters.
If your windshield time normally takes you through residential areas, consider finding alternative routes that keep you out of those areas in the early evening. Some malls also host trick-or-treat events. If that's the case with any of your customer lots, be sure to exercise extra caution. You might also re-schedule your sweeping times to cover them later in the night so as not to coincide with when kids will be congregating there for treats.
Early street sweeping routes can also create safety issues on any residential streets. Although most such routes start later in the night, if your city has scheduled residential routes that begin earlier in the evening consider what you need to do to ensure safety while sweeping on Halloween night.
This issue covers a wide range of topics, from additional consolidation in the manufacturing sector, with FAUN's purchase of Trombia, to an important discussion of the rising issue of pollution liability when power sweeping. As you will see, though, we also offer a couple of items – the vintage Street King brochure and the photos, including sweepers, from the 1940s – that are on the lighter side.
Although we often emphasize what sweeping can do for abating runoff pollution from pavement, I encourage everyone to remember, as our 'dust article' illustrates so clearly, the positive impact street sweeping has on removal of material that can go airborne. It is now well understood that short- and long-term exposures to airborne particles, including dust, pose major health risks. Effects range from increased hospital admissions to higher risk of premature death, primarily due to cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. Although by no means a panacea to the problem, there is no question street sweeping – especially when done by air sweepers – helps to abate the issue.
As we find ourselves approaching the end of another year... If you are one of WorldSweeper.com's advertising sponsors, thank you for the critical part you play in supporting 'Earth's Largest Power Sweeping Resource.'SM I am honored by your collective votes of confidence in what this organization provides to the power sweeping industry.
Likewise, if you are one of the industry suppliers providing WSA Members with savings on your goods and services, thank you for providing those WSA Member Benefits. Finally, if you sell to the sweeping industry but don't yet advertise with us, please consider doing so.
Good Sweeping,
Editor, WorldSweeper.com
Executive Director, World Sweeping Association
Member, PAVEMENT Hall of Fame
PS If you're a contractor I urge you to check out the many benefits of membership in the World Sweeping Association. Also, if you haven't 'liked' our WorldSweeper Facebook page, what are you waiting for? That's where we offer a variety of industry previews and updates on an ongoing basis.
October Newsletter Contents
(Scroll down to read stories or click on links below.)
- Finnish Trombia Technologies Purchased by German FAUN Group
- The Importance of Street Sweeping for Dust Pollution Abatement
- Sweeping History in Print: The Elgin Street King
- Pollution Insurance for Sweeping: Is it Time?
- San Francisco Sweeper Operators Rally to Keep Separate Department of Sanitation and Streets Intact
- Not Exactly Sweeping: 1940s Photos in Richmond, Virginia, Include Street Sweepers
Finnish Trombia Technologies Purchased by German FAUN Group
On October 1st of 2022, FAUN Group took over the majority shares from Finnish manufacturer Trombia Technologies. In recent times, Trombia has received a variety of positive reviews on its Trombia Free autonomous, all-electric, water-free sweeper.
Along with the ownership transaction, Trombia Technologies also confirmed six million euro growth financing arranged by FAUN to accelerate the company's transition to deliveries and production of Trombia's autonomous street sweeping systems.
Check out the purchase.
The Importance of Street Sweeping for Dust Pollution Abatement
Street sweeping is a leading BMP for dust abatement when conducted regularly in locations where airborne small-micron dust can be an issue. This recent example from the Coachella Valley, CA, illustrates how serious the problem can be.
On October 6th a massive 'haboob' wind storm swept into the Coachella Valley from the east with little notice. It left a trail of dust and wind damage behind and fouled the air for more than a day. The damage to human health from events like this – or other windstorms – can continue even after the winds calm down.
Use the link to check out how an enhanced regional street sweeping program, financed by a consortium of cities and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, is being utilized to minimize the health effects of dust in that particular region.
Check out the information.
Sweeping History in Print: The Elgin Street King
New features listed on this undated brochure for the Elgin Street King and Street King D sweeper models included increased engine power, greater hopper capacity, dual rear wheels, power brakes and feather-touch power steering. The machine offered five forward speeds in addition to reverse.
We have added a PDF version of this Street King brochure to our History section, where it joined the 10 other vintage brochures of various sweepers we have found over time that are included in that section.
Download the Street King/Street King D brochure here or click here to go to the page that also includes all the other vintage brochures.
Pollution Insurance for Sweeping: Is it Time?
One of the fastest emerging needs for power sweeping contractors is that of insuring against claims they have caused or spread pollution. Many contractors don't realize their typical liability coverage expressly excludes almost any kind of polluting accident or claim that might occur.
The photo shown is from a spill from an Australian sweeper, caused when the machine's main hydraulic pump hose broke. Because the operator was unaware the hose was leaking, the spill was nearly a kilometer long. Cleanup needed was extensive – and costly.
Increasingly, more and more sweeping clients are also starting to require a pollution policy to be in place, typically for $1 million. The linked half-hour seminar on the topic was conducted initially for the members of the World Sweeping Association, and provided courtesy of that organization. WSA's Director, who is also the Editor of WorldSweeper.com, held the online seminar with Phil Duncan, principal for BindDesk Insurance.
The short seminar provides a host of specific information on this topic, including examples of different types of potential situations that might give rise to a pollution claim. Duncan also details the 'pitfall clauses' in a typical liability policy.
Check out the seminar on YouTube.
San Francisco Sweeper Operators Rally to Keep Separate Department of Sanitation and Streets Intact
A November 8th ballot issue, 'Proposition B,' would negate San Francisco's separate Department of Sanitation and Streets that was passed into law two years ago. This was a new city department responsible only for cleaning streets and sidewalks. Labor unions representing sanitation workers are pushing back on the proposed change back.
"Two years ago, a bribery and corruption scandal led to federal criminal charges against the then head of the DPW, who was sentenced to seven years in prison," says the press release. "Voters overwhelmingly approved reforms to a hopelessly corrupt DPW and to create a separate Department of Sanitation and Streets, along with strong oversight and strict requirements for department leaders. Yet, unbelievably, the Board of Supervisors this year has placed Measure B on the Nov. 8 ballot, a ballot measure that would overturn the will of the people by eviscerating almost every aspect of those reforms."
Check out the ballot issue in San Francisco.
1940s Photos in Richmond, Virginia, Include Street Sweepers
Okay, so only three of the 250 vintage photos at the link below are of street sweepers – although one of them, of an Austin-Western machine, is arguably one of the most iconic of a street sweeper ever taken.
We found the photo collection of photos taken by Richmond Times-Dispatch photographers to be very entertaining throughout. If you just want to see the sweeper photos, search with your browser's search link on that page for the word 'sweeper.'
However, it's hard not to find the entire grouping of photos to be of interest. As you will see, many cover issues that remain at the forefront of our society even today, some 80 years later! You can not only see how far we've come in the last 80 years, but also the societal similarities. Collectively, they provide a slice of Americana from those days of yore – including three street sweeper photos.
Check out the vintage photo collection – including sweepers.
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