At Waste Management, safety is far more than just a program or strategy. It is a core value. It is a cornerstone of operational excellence. It is a philosophy embedded in the way we work, the decisions we make and the actions we take.

We set the highest standards for protecting our employees, our communities and our customers. Our goal is to attain world-class safety and, more important, to be the safest company in our industry. That means zero tolerance for unsafe conditions, unsafe equipment, and unsafe actions, decisions and attitudes.

Mission to Zero or, M2Z as it's commonly referred to, was initiated in 2001. It means zero tolerance for unsafe actions, unsafe decisions, unsafe conditions, unsafe equipment and unsafe attitudes. However, M2Z isn't just a safety program, it's a broad-based operational excellence strategy.

A key component of M2Z is Safety Certification Training, which provides classroom instruction in safety fundamentals for supervisors, drivers and helpers. M2Z seeks to enhance understanding, change behaviours and develop company leaders who can make a difference and train and lead others. The program does not seek to find fault or punish people. It's about being hard on facts and easy on people.