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3 Safety Tips For Using A Roll-Off Dumpster

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If you're doing a home improvement project at your house, finding a way to collect and get rid of the trash and debris needs to be an important part of your plan. You can easily take care of this by renting a roll-off dumpster. The dumpster rental company will drop the container off at your home and pick it up on a date you specify, so all you have to worry about is filling it with trash. However, there are some safety concerns that come with using a roll-off dumpster. Take a look at a few safety tips for using a roll-off dumpster at your home.

Know What You Can't Put in the Dumpster

Your dumpster rental company should give you a list of things that can't be stored in your rental dumpster – if they don't give it to you, make sure that you ask for it. As a general rule, you can't use the dumpster to store potentially hazardous chemicals like paint, pesticides, household cleaners, or motor oil.

These chemicals have the potential to cause harm to animals and plants, and they can leech into the ground and contaminate the soil and water if they're dumped into a landfill. Other dangerous items that shouldn't be put in a dumpster include computer parts and batteries, both of which contain hazardous chemicals that may leak.

Ask For A Lock

Request that the dumpster you're renting come with a lock for the lid, especially if you have pets or children in your home or you know of any in the general area. A curious child or adventurous pet could climb into your dumpster to see what's inside and end up getting hurt or stuck inside the dumpster. You can prevent such an occurrence by asking for a lock and taking care to lock the dumpster each day when you stop working on your project.

Distribute Weight Evenly

As you're working, make sure that you're distributing weight evenly rather than dropping it all in the same section of the dumpster. You want all sections of the dumpster to fill at a roughly equal rate, especially if you're working with heavy items like lumber or concrete.

An unevenly weighted dumpster is at risk of tipping over, which can be hazardous for you and anyone else in the vicinity. In addition to distributing the weight evenly, make sure that your dumpster is placed flat on the ground and not partially on a raised sidewalk or landing. Improper placement is not only dangerous for you, it can damage the structure that the dumpster is sitting on.

By taking care to observe these safety rules, you'll be able to complete your project without incident. For more information, talk to a company like Tri-State Disposal.


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