NYC Sanitation Worker 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'section work' mean in the context of NYC DSNY operations?
- Cleaning a garage section at the end of a shift
- Sweeping and cleaning a designated area beyond the primary collection route (Correct answer)
- Sorting recyclables at a material recovery facility
- Operating heavy equipment in a restricted section of the city
Correct answer: Sweeping and cleaning a designated area beyond the primary collection route
Section work refers to the street sweeping and litter basket service duties assigned to workers in their designated geographic section.
Question 2: A sanitation worker on a collection route observes a fire hydrant that appears to be leaking significantly. What is the appropriate action?
- Ignore it and focus on the collection route
- Report it to the supervisor, who will notify the appropriate city agency (Correct answer)
- Attempt to close the valve themselves
- Place refuse bags around it as a warning
Correct answer: Report it to the supervisor, who will notify the appropriate city agency
Workers should report infrastructure issues to their supervisor, who coordinates with DEP or other relevant city agencies.
Question 3: Under NYC rules, which of the following is considered an acceptable recyclable plastic for curbside collection?
- Plastic film and shopping bags
- Rigid plastic bottles and jugs (Correct answer)
- Polystyrene foam cups
- PVC pipes
Correct answer: Rigid plastic bottles and jugs
Rigid plastic bottles and jugs (such as beverage bottles and detergent containers) are accepted recyclables; bags, foam, and PVC are not.
Question 4: How does NYC DSNY handle collection on a legal holiday?
- All collection is cancelled citywide
- Collection follows a modified schedule and may be delayed by one day (Correct answer)
- Collection continues with no change in schedule
- Only recycling is collected, not refuse
Correct answer: Collection follows a modified schedule and may be delayed by one day
On legal holidays, DSNY suspends collection and service resumes the following day on a shifted schedule for the rest of the week.
Question 5: What is the role of a 'tickler' system in DSNY fleet management?
- A real-time GPS tracker on all trucks
- A reminder system tracking when vehicles are due for preventive maintenance (Correct answer)
- A performance scoring tool for individual workers
- A scheduling app for assigning routes
Correct answer: A reminder system tracking when vehicles are due for preventive maintenance
A tickler system flags vehicles due for routine preventive maintenance so repairs are made before breakdowns occur.
Question 6: Which federal agency sets occupational safety standards that NYC sanitation workers must follow on the job?
- EPA
- FEMA
- OSHA (Correct answer)
- DOT
Correct answer: OSHA
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) sets and enforces workplace safety standards applicable to all U.S. workers including sanitation employees.
Question 7: A NYC sanitation worker is directed to report to a different district garage for a shift. This type of temporary reassignment is called what?
- Loaned service (Correct answer)
- Transfer posting
- Emergency detail
- Floating assignment
Correct answer: Loaned service
When workers are temporarily assigned outside their home district to meet operational needs, the practice is called loaned service.
NYC Sanitation Worker 4
What does 'section work' mean in the context of NYC DSNY operations?