Top 12 Sanitation Worker Skills to Put on Your Resume
In the competitive field of sanitation, showcasing a robust set of skills on your resume can sharpen your edge and signal you’re ready for the grind. Below are twelve core abilities employers look for—practical, safety-focused, and tuned to today’s standards of cleanliness and compliance.
Sanitation Worker Skills
- Waste Management
- Recycling Protocols
- Hazardous Materials Handling
- OSHA Standards
- Sanitization Techniques
- Heavy Equipment Operation
- Biohazard Disposal
- Industrial Cleaning
- PPE Usage
- Forklift Operation
- Environmental Compliance
- Chemical Safety
1. Waste Management
Waste management covers the collection, transport, processing, and disposal of refuse from homes, businesses, and industrial sites. For sanitation workers, it’s the day-to-day execution: safe handling, efficient routes, clean streets, and minimal environmental impact.
Why It's Important
Good waste management protects public health, prevents pests and disease, limits pollution, and keeps communities livable.
How to Improve Waste Management Skills
Leveling up this skill set means combining safe practices with smart systems:
Ongoing training: Refresh knowledge on sorting, composting, bulky item handling, and hazardous waste rules. Procedures change—stay current.
Tech and data: Use route optimization, load sensors, and GPS to cut fuel burn, reduce missed pickups, and tighten schedules.
Community education: Reinforce proper set-out, container placement, and contamination reduction. Clear instructions save time and prevent injuries.
PPE and safe ergonomics: Gloves, eye protection, high-vis gear, and lift-assist methods reduce injuries and exposure.
Feedback loops: Report problem spots, container defects, or recurring contamination so programs get better—not just bigger.
How to Display Waste Management Skills on Your Resume
2. Recycling Protocols
Recycling protocols are the rules for separating, collecting, and processing recyclable materials correctly—keeping streams clean and markets viable.
Why It's Important
Strong protocols reduce contamination, conserve resources, boost diversion rates, and keep workers safer around balers, conveyors, and compactors.
How to Improve Recycling Protocols Skills
Sharper routines, fewer errors, better outcomes:
Know the rules locally: Materials accepted change by facility. Memorize what’s in, what’s out, and seasonal exceptions.
Standardized labels: Use bold, consistent bin labels and color coding to cut contamination at the curb and on the floor.
Sort accuracy: Practice quick visual ID of plastics, metals, glass, cartons, and fiber grades. Speed matters, accuracy more.
Safety-forward handling: Treat propane cylinders, batteries, and electronics as hazards. Isolate and escalate.
Community feedback: Note repeat contamination by route. Share with supervisors to adjust education or cart audits.
How to Display Recycling Protocols Skills on Your Resume
3. Hazardous Materials Handling
Hazardous materials handling means identifying, segregating, and disposing of substances that can harm people or the environment—chemicals, solvents, sharps, batteries, and more—using approved procedures.
Why It's Important
It prevents exposure, fires, spills, and contamination. It also keeps facilities compliant and co-workers safe.
How to Improve Hazardous Materials Handling Skills
- Formal training: Complete instruction aligned with HAZWOPER principles and local regulations. Know labeling, storage, and manifesting basics.
- Right PPE every time: Chemical-resistant gloves, splash protection, respirators where required. Fit, maintain, replace.
- Approved containers and tools: Use sealed, compatible containers and non-sparking tools. Never improvise.
- Emergency readiness: Drill on spill control, eyewash access, first aid, and evacuation. Seconds count.
- Keep current: Regulations change; refreshers prevent old habits from creeping back.
How to Display Hazardous Materials Handling Skills on Your Resume
4. OSHA Standards
OSHA standards set safety requirements for tasks like lifting, machine operation, bloodborne pathogens, and hazard communication—core to sanitation work.
Why It's Important
Compliance reduces injuries, illnesses, and costly downtime. It also builds a safety culture where everyone goes home intact.
How to Improve OSHA Standards Skills
Train and retrain: Toolbox talks, tailgate meetings, and annual refreshers keep procedures top of mind.
Maintain equipment: Pre-trip inspections, lockout/tagout, and scheduled service prevent failures on route and at the MRF or transfer station.
Modern PPE: Hard hats, high-vis, cut-resistant gloves, protective eyewear, hearing protection—issued, fitted, and replaced on schedule.
Ergonomics matter: Use lift assists, proper body mechanics, and team lifts. Fewer strains, more stamina.
Hazard controls: Clear protocols for sharps, chemicals, biohazards, and confined spaces. Practice them.
Speak up systems: Simple, non-retaliatory reporting for near-misses and hazards. Fix small problems before they roar.
How to Display OSHA Standards Skills on Your Resume
5. Sanitization Techniques
Sanitization techniques are the methods used to clean and disinfect surfaces and spaces to safe microbial levels—chemicals, heat, friction, and contact time working together.
Why It's Important
It stops pathogens from hitchhiking through facilities and vehicles, protecting workers and the public.
How to Improve Sanitization Techniques Skills
Right product, right job: Use disinfectants approved for target organisms. Respect dwell times; rushing ruins results.
Color-coding: Assign tools by area (restrooms, breakrooms, offices) to avoid cross-contamination. Simple system, big payoff.
Methodical sequencing: High to low, clean to dirty, dry to wet. Consistency beats guesswork.
Automation where it fits: Consider sprayers, foaming units, or UV systems in controlled environments to boost coverage.
Checklists and verification: Use logs and spot tests (e.g., ATP where applicable) to confirm tasks were done and done well.
PPE discipline: Chemical splash protection, gloves, and ventilation keep you safe while you clean.
How to Display Sanitization Techniques Skills on Your Resume
6. Heavy Equipment Operation
Heavy equipment operation in sanitation includes driving and controlling garbage trucks, roll-offs, front-loaders, compactors, and landfill equipment safely and efficiently.
Why It's Important
It keeps routes on time, sites orderly, and crews out of harm’s way. Precision prevents damage and injuries.
How to Improve Heavy Equipment Operation Skills
Structured instruction: Take certified courses matched to your equipment type and local requirements. Practice under supervision.
Reps, then more reps: Regular seat time builds finesse—tight turns, smooth lifts, perfect placements.
Safety protocols first: Pre-trip checks, spotters, three-point contact, and clear hand signals. Non-negotiable habits.
Leverage technology: Use telematics, cameras, proximity sensors, and GPS to reduce blind spots and idling.
Learn from vets: Shadow experienced operators. Their tips shorten your learning curve.
How to Display Heavy Equipment Operation Skills on Your Resume
7. Biohazard Disposal
Biohazard disposal covers safe handling and destruction of materials contaminated with bloodborne or infectious agents—sharps, medical waste, and similar risks.
Why It's Important
It prevents disease transmission, protects workers and the public, and meets strict regulatory requirements.
How to Improve Biohazard Disposal Skills
Specialized training: Learn segregation rules, labeling, transport, and treatment methods. Understand bloodborne pathogen protections.
Segregate at the source: Keep red-bag and sharps containers distinct and intact. No mixing—ever.
Approved containers: Leak-proof, puncture-resistant, clearly marked. Close and secure before movement.
Exposure control: Know post-exposure procedures and incident reporting. Fast action reduces harm.
Refreshers: Periodic updates keep processes aligned with current rules and facility practices.
How to Display Biohazard Disposal Skills on Your Resume
8. Industrial Cleaning
Industrial cleaning focuses on heavy-duty environments—factories, plants, warehouses—where residue, dust, oils, and debris demand specialized tools and methods.
Why It's Important
It reduces slip hazards, protects equipment, meets regulatory standards, and keeps production moving without fouling air or surfaces.
How to Improve Industrial Cleaning Skills
Systematic approach: Map zones, schedule frequencies, and sequence tasks to avoid rework and cross-contamination.
Safer chemistries: Use products that meet performance needs while minimizing worker and environmental risk. Follow label directions strictly.
Right tool, right surface: Scrubbers, vacuums with HEPA, foamers, and absorbents—matched to soils and substrates.
PPE and ventilation: Protect against splashes, aerosols, and noise. Improve airflow where chemicals or dust are present.
Mechanization: Deploy ride-on units or cleaning robots where area size and layout justify them to save time and strain.
How to Display Industrial Cleaning Skills on Your Resume
9. PPE Usage
PPE usage for sanitation workers includes gloves, eye and face protection, sturdy footwear, respirators when required, and high-visibility garments—selected for the task and worn correctly.
Why It's Important
PPE blocks chemical splashes, sharps, biohazards, and noise, lowering injury and illness risk dramatically.
How to Improve PPE Usage Skills
Make protection second nature: train on when and what to wear, ensure proper fit and comfort, store PPE clean and dry, and replace damaged gear fast. Supervisors should model compliance and make access effortless at every site and shift.
How to Display PPE Usage Skills on Your Resume
10. Forklift Operation
Forklift operation in sanitation means moving containers, bales, pallets, and equipment safely—loading, staging, and stacking without incidents.
Why It's Important
It speeds up material handling, reduces manual strain, and keeps facilities flowing.
How to Improve Forklift Operation Skills
Certification and refreshers: Complete training and evaluations as required (e.g., OSHA 1910.178). Keep skills sharp.
Daily inspections: Brakes, forks, chains, hydraulics, horn, lights—document and address issues before operation.
Load discipline: Know capacity, center the load, travel low and slow, avoid sudden turns. Stability over speed.
Pedestrian awareness: Use horns and lights, mind blind corners, maintain clear aisles, and never assume someone sees you.
Environment know-how: Adjust for ramps, wet floors, tight racks, or outdoor terrain. Choose electric vs. IC trucks to fit ventilation and noise limits.
How to Display Forklift Operation Skills on Your Resume
11. Environmental Compliance
Environmental compliance means following laws and rules that govern waste handling, emissions, stormwater, and spill prevention during collection, transport, and disposal.
Why It's Important
It protects air, water, and soil—and shields your organization from fines, shutdowns, and reputation damage.
How to Improve Environmental Compliance Skills
Know the regulations: Learn local, state, and federal requirements relevant to your routes, materials, and facilities.
Segregate and document: Sort streams correctly, label containers, and keep accurate logs and manifests where required.
Prevent spills: Inspect containers, use secondary containment, and respond quickly with spill kits and reporting protocols.
PPE and hygiene: Protect yourself to prevent cross-contamination and secondary exposure.
Report and improve: Flag violations or near-misses promptly. Continuous improvement beats compliance scrambles.
How to Display Environmental Compliance Skills on Your Resume
12. Chemical Safety
Chemical safety involves proper selection, labeling, storage, and disposal of chemicals, along with hazard communication, ventilation, and emergency response readiness.
Why It's Important
It prevents burns, respiratory issues, fires, and environmental harm. One mistake can ripple.
How to Improve Chemical Safety Skills
Training and SDS literacy: Read and understand Safety Data Sheets, pictograms, and signal words. Know your controls.
PPE matched to hazards: Choose gloves, eyewear, footwear, and respirators based on chemical type and exposure route.
Labeling and segregation: Original containers, legible labels, and incompatibles stored apart. No unmarked bottles.
Audits and housekeeping: Regular checks for leaks, corrosion, expired stock, and blocked eyewash stations. Tidy beats risky.
Emergency plans: Spill response, neutralizers, absorbents, ventilation steps, and reporting—rehearsed, not guessed.
How to Display Chemical Safety Skills on Your Resume
