Waste Management officials have clarified the company’s policy for assisting handicapped persons bringing trash or recyclables to any of its five convenience centers in Gloucester.

The matter has been under review for some time, said Greg Enterline, senior district manager for Waste Management. “We looked for a happy medium,” he said of providing assistance to handicapped persons.

The new policy spells out more clearly who center attendants can help and when. Enterline said that attendants can assist only vehicles displaying a handicapped tag or placard.

In addition, an attendant can only help unload up to three filled containers each weighing no more than 25 pounds, Enterline said.

For some time, attendants were free to decide whether to help unload the items brought to the convenience centers, he said. But the new policy gives employees a better gauge of who to help and how much to lift so they won’t hurt themselves.

What the company doesn’t want th...