Journal of Research in Environmental Health

Journal of Research in Environmental Health

Investigating the Delphi Method in Ranking Indicators of Health, Safety and Environmental Management of Municipal Waste Landfills (A Case Study)

Document Type : Research article

Authors
Fahimeh Javadi 1
Amin Alizadeh 2
Mehri Rezayi 3
1 Master's degree in Natural Resources Engineering - Environment, Pollution, Binaloud University of Mashhad, Environmental teacher, Mashhad, Iran.
2 Professor, Irrigation, Drainage and Meteorology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
3 Ph.D. Environment, Pollution, Department of Environment, Mashhad, Iran.
10.22038/jreh.2024.23855
Abstract
Background and Purpose: This study aims to explore the application of the Delphi method in ranking health, safety, and environmental (HSE) management indicators at the municipal waste landfill in Mashhad.

Materials and Methods: Initially, relevant criteria and indicators were identified using the Delphi method and a survey of experts, who assigned scores ranging from 1 to 9. Subsequently, the criteria and indicators were prioritized by employing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and based on the opinions of 15 experts through pairwise comparisons. The analysis and synthesis of indicators were facilitated using statistical software, such as Expert Choice. 

Results: The highest scores across all three categories pertained to the safety of the burial process, integrity of burial cells, management and treatment of sanitary sewage, leachate collection systems, soil contamination via leachate, control of traffic noise and operations, and adherence to slope guidelines. Conversely, the lowest scores across all categories were associated with the safety of facilities, training, safety of equipment, warning signs, gas collection, and extraction wells, prohibition of entry and animal presence, daily spraying operations aligned with wind direction, landfill gas management, gas collection systems, effluent management parameters, control of traffic noise, levels of odors, and the impact on the greenhouse effect.

Conclusion: This research indicates that the HSE conditions at the Mashhad landfill are suboptimal. Environmental and safety indicators, in particular, have been largely overlooked in landfill management practices. Establishing a dedicated HSE system within the waste management framework of Mashhad's municipal administration could significantly enhance these indicators.
 
Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords
Landfill
Safety
Health
Environment
Delphi Technique
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