Analyzing territorial governance to prevent occupational risks in the sector of waste management

Waste recycling management depends on numerous decisions made between policy makers acting at different levels. National policy makers define environmental policies at macro level. These policies determine the creation and, to a large extent, the operation of waste sorting centers at micro level (for example, in defining the kind of products to be recycled). A meso level exists between the macro level (national) and the micro level (sites), situated at the scale of local communities (municipalities, cities, etc. often grouped in the form of collective public entities), which has to organize the territory and in particular determine the waste collection processes within it. Therefore working conditions are influenced by various actors. Consequently, our aim is to examine the links between the meso and the micro levels. Focusing on research carried out in four waste sorting centers, we analyze the dimensions of the territory that impact on working conditions for operatives. System performance in terms of sustainable development raises the essential question of the quality of the waste collected. However, it also appears that the latter and the collection process are central issues of prevention (in terms of employee health, safety and welfare). We examine the design process and seek disconnections between the sorting center and its territory. Our goal is therefore to identify margins of maneuver for safeguarding occupational health and preventing risks.