Helping the Earth Can Feel Very Rewarding

Advance Scouting Best When Arranging For Dumpster Drop-Off

Are you planning to rent a roll-off dumpster to contain waste or recycling as you clear out or remodel your home? If this is the case, arrange with the roll-off delivery company for them to view your property. You want to be sure that you have enough space so that the dumpster will not sit under or near power lines. Whether you have someone come out in person, or whether you send pictures to the company via email, ensuring that the spot in which you plan to put the dumpster is going to be appropriate is essential for your safety.

Motionless, but Made of Metal

Roll-off dumpsters look pretty harmless -- they're just large, rectangular containers that sit in one spot. But they are made of metal, and they are loaded and unloaded using a truck that tilts the dumpster up. Both of these features can create problems if power lines are nearby. The mechanism on the truck that lifts the edge of the dumpster up to move it can bump into the lines and rip them out, causing downed lines that become a major danger.

Even if the loading and unloading go well, if power lines above the dumpster fall for whatever reason, or if they are already low and touch the dumpster, then the metal of the dumpster can transmit electricity. That's an electrocution risk.

All Clear for Increased Safety

The area in which you have the dumpster should not be under or near lines at all. If possible, ensure that the path to the storage spot isn't under power lines either -- if the driver of the truck forgets to lower the cranelike portion, it can cut the lines as the truck moves. A similar event happened in Massachusetts in 2012 when a garbage truck boom caught on power lines, sending the lines down onto the truck. It's also a good idea to keep the dumpster away from trees and other structures that could be potentially damaged by the truck.

If you have to arrange for the dumpster quickly, contact the company and let them know that you have to get one fast but need to make sure you have an appropriate place to put it. The company might accept pictures via email in lieu of sending someone out. But if the company won't accept pictures and you have no time for a pre-delivery visit, arrange for the dumpster to be delivered and then be prepared for it to have to be removed immediately. The company may have other ways to determine if the area in which you want the dumpster will be safe.

If you want more information, start calling around to different dumpster delivery companies now. The more time you have before you need the dumpster in place, the easier it will be to find substitute sites if the one you had in mind is not safe. Talk to experts like Pequannock Disposal Service for more information.


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