Has Health and Safety gone too far with wheelie bins?
Bin men have been told to stop moving wheelie bins in Craven, West Morland. This new rule has been branded as ridiculous by a Craven councillor. Around 20% of the residents live in inaccessible places have their bins taken to the waste lorry by council workmen. However, a recent inspection by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) has lead to the council being told they must stop the practice and collections must now be kerb side only.
What?
Councillor Carl Lis is a lead member for waste management and has told fellow councillors that they have no option but to act. The issue regards council staff moving bins over long distances, but arrangements would have to be made for vulnerable residents.
Why?
“There will be people who are old and we have a duty to collect their bins. I don’t know what we will do at the moment but officers are working on it” he said. Another councillor said “it seems strange that we are being told that there is too much risk for trained professionals to move wheelie bins but little old ladies can.” Councillor Paul English also went on to say “refuse collectors are refuse collectors, that is what they are employed to do. It seems more and more we can’t let them do the job they are employed to do, it is ridiculous”.
A HSE spokesperson said the council’s waste collection service had been inspected as part of a rolling programme of similar inspections of authorities nationwide. “HSE recommend that Craven District Council moved to kerbside collections to reduce the risk to employees of sustaining injuries from manual handling. HSE also made further recommendations regarding reversing of collection trucks so staff are better protected from moving vehicles; assessing risks of the bin rounds being undertaken and ensuring the authority has a source of competent health and safety advice.”
What now?
While these changes are now being reviewed and implemented the waste and recycling manager noted that the council still offers an assisted collection service if a householder is unable to present their bin to the kerbside.