Work on landfills and around landfill gas systems, including monitoring, maintaining and troubleshooting, requires day-to-day planning, and, if done without advanced preparation, can be as hazardous as well drilling, heavy equipment operations and confined space entry. Untrained staff, inappropriate tools, and missing equipment, raise the risk of injury or worse. Situational awareness must be part of the team’s culture and used as workers go about completing their work. This presentation will share stories of real landfill experiences to demonstrate how things can go horribly wrong if planning isn’t done in advance of work.