NYC Route Management and Collection Operations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does DSNY require collection crews to do when they find a dead animal on a NYC street during their route?
- Place it in the regular garbage hopper
- Leave it and report it to 311
- Report it to DSNY dispatch for proper pickup by a specialized unit (Correct answer)
- Dispose of it in the nearest sewer
Correct answer: Report it to DSNY dispatch for proper pickup by a specialized unit
Dead animal removal is handled by a specialized DSNY unit, not regular collection crews, to ensure proper biohazard handling.
Question 2: In NYC, which type of waste is collected by DSNY in brown bins or separate organic pickup programs?
- Glass and metal
- Food scraps and yard waste (organics) (Correct answer)
- Electronic waste
- Household hazardous waste
Correct answer: Food scraps and yard waste (organics)
NYC's organics collection program accepts food scraps and yard waste in brown bins for composting and diversion from landfill.
Question 3: What is the DSNY worker's responsibility when a property owner has blocked curb access with a parked vehicle, preventing collection?
- Manually carry the refuse past the vehicle to the truck
- Document the obstruction and report it — do not injure yourself to access blocked cans (Correct answer)
- Issue a parking ticket to the vehicle owner
- Skip the block entirely without documentation
Correct answer: Document the obstruction and report it — do not injure yourself to access blocked cans
Workers must document blocked access and report it; they are not required to risk injury to collect from inaccessible curbside locations.
Question 4: NYC's organic waste law mandates that businesses generating above what threshold must use organics collection services?
- 1 ton of organic waste per week (Correct answer)
- 2 tons of organic waste per week
- 100 lbs per day
- 500 lbs per week
Correct answer: 1 ton of organic waste per week
NYC Local Law requires large food waste generators producing over 1 ton per week to separate and arrange for organics collection.
Question 5: What action must DSNY collection crews take when they encounter medical waste (red bag waste) set out with regular refuse?
- Collect it in the regular hopper
- Leave it, document it, and notify a supervisor for special medical waste pickup (Correct answer)
- Puncture the bag to reduce volume and collect
- Burn it on-site
Correct answer: Leave it, document it, and notify a supervisor for special medical waste pickup
Medical waste is a regulated hazardous material that cannot go into the regular collection stream and requires specialized disposal.
Question 6: Under DSNY policy, what must happen to a collection route when a crew member is injured mid-shift?
- The remaining crew member completes the entire route alone
- The supervisor arranges coverage; worker safety and medical attention take priority over route completion (Correct answer)
- The route is simply skipped for the day
- A random civilian is deputized to help
Correct answer: The supervisor arranges coverage; worker safety and medical attention take priority over route completion
Worker injury triggers a supervisor response for coverage and medical care; the injured worker's wellbeing comes before route completion.
NYC Route Management and Collection Operations 2
What does DSNY require collection crews to do when they find a dead animal on a NYC street during their route?