Alphonzo Hedgepeth, a 16-year veteran garbage collector said he is not messing around with COVID-19.
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"I sanitize everything. Every time I get out the truck. Before I get out-I hand sanitize," said Hedgepeth.
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Hedgepeth and more than 150 of his colleagues with the City of Raleigh are also on the front lines of the virus.
"We're glad to have a job," said Hedgepeth.
The average sanitation worker makes nearly $40,000 a year in Raleigh, and their essential job these days is becoming more physically and mentally challenging. In March, the NC Public Service Workers Union said a Raleigh sanitation worker, Adrian Grubbs, died from complications due to the novel coronavirus.
'We've had other diseases but this has really been a shock to everybody," Hedgepeth said.
Raleigh Solid Waste managers estimate sanitation workers come into contact with one million surfaces each week, increasing their chances for COVID-19 exposure.
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To ease concerns, three person crews have been reduced to two, and shifts are staggered. Trucks and vehicle keys are also cleaned daily.
Additionally, each employee receives a wellness check before work, masks, multiple latex gloves and work gloves, and hazmat-style suits with boot covers.
In Raleigh, 140,000 homes are serviced each week by sanitation workers.
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People can help keep them safe and their neighbors by cleaning garbage handles, and not putting trash on top of bins.