As much as we value our community’s beauty, we value our volunteers even more. All volunteers must follow these safety protocols.

Please review the following safety procedures before the litter pickup.

Personal Safety

• Volunteers must wear closed-toed shoes. Long pants are recommended.
• Alcoholic beverages and illegal drugs are prohibited. Volunteers must be sober.
• Volunteers with prescribed medications that reduce reaction times are not allowed to participate.
• No weapons are allowed on a litter pickup.
• Do not engage in horseplay.
• Take frequent breaks in hotter weather to avoid heat stroke. Rule of thumb is every 20 minutes, stop and have some water.
• You may encounter someone living outdoors in the area that you are cleaning. Please be respectful and give them space. 

Traffic Safety

• Be alert and ready to react to traffic. Drivers are not paying attention as much as you think they are.
• Work together as a group and walk facing oncoming traffic. Work on one side of the road at a time.
• Everyone participating in the litter pick up must wear a safety vest at all times.
• NO headphones, as they interfere with hearing traffic. If ear plugs are needed, please make sure you are able to hear ambient noises such as on-coming traffic.
• All volunteer cars must be parked off the road.
• Litter cleanups are not allowed to interrupt traffic.
• Litter pickups are prohibited in construction zones, on interstates, and roads with speed limits over 45mph.
• If you are in a high traffic area, feel free to bring cones or brightly colored flags to ensure you are seen. 

Environmental Safety

• Watch out for potential natural hazards, such as bees, wasps, fire ants, snakes, poisonous plants.
• Litter pickups are not allowed during rain, fog, or any other weather that reduces visibility to drivers.
• Litter pickups are prohibited before sunrise and after sunset.
• If you are aware of an extreme allergy to external hazards, TELL US! Also come prepared with an Epi-pen in case of emergency.

Litter Pickup Safety

• Don’t handle hazardous litter, such as car batteries, discarded syringes, etc.
• Don’t compress trash into the bags because sharp objects could cause injuries.
• Be very careful handling sharp objects.
• No pets are allowed at cleanups.

Minor Safety

• Children under the age of 13 years old must have their parent/guardian present during any cleanup alongside the roadway.
• There must be one adult present for every ten minors between the ages 12-18.
• No children under the age of 5 are allowed to volunteer / participate in the Program.

Plan Ahead

• Check to make sure your waivers are signed before the event.
• No waiver, No volunteering.
• Check the weather and Dress appropriately.
• Bring WATER (even if it’s cold out).
• Bring sunscreen, bug spray and have a fully charged cell phone.
• Inform us if you have any major allergies including food allergies! We may be in contact with items that could have residue on them or another volunteer might have a snack for themselves that could cause a reaction.

I acknowledge that I have read, understand and agree to abide by the terms of this Volunteer Safety Protocol and I further agree to NOT hold Sustain cities (aka make GVL greener), its volunteers, employees, coordinator or their sponsor(s) responsible for any injuries or damages suffered, as a result of my participation in the Garbage Gang Program.