ECAR Ask the Expert
Question & Answer Archives
Back to the Archive List

January, 2008

Q. In Michigan, is there a policy on how high auto salvage yards can stack crushed vehicles?

A. Several agencies in Michigan have oversight of salvage yard operations. The waste regulations overseen by the Department of Environmental Quality does not contain restrictions of the height of the crushed vehicle stack.

The worker health and safety standards overseen by the Department of Labor and Economic Growth, MIOSHA also do not have specific height restrictions but instead refer to basic safety conditions so the stack does not fall over. Please see the General Provisions rule R 408.10015 at http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CIS_WSH_part1_51031_7.pdf for Housekeeping:
"Rule 15. (1) Materials, including scrap and debris, shall be piled, stacked, or placed in a container in a manner that does not create a hazard to an employee. ..."