Updated on 27 March 2006: 

Watch out for your bin man

“Watch out for your bin man” is the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) call to the people of Leicester this week, following the launch of an initiative designed to make householders more aware of the safety of the people who collect their waste and recyclables.

Paul Harvey, HSE’s Waste and Recycling Principal Inspector explains:

“Collecting waste and recyclables often goes unnoticed. Collection workers start early in the morning, often before dawn, cover thousands of miles a year and sort and lift huge quantities of our waste and recyclables – we can often take their work for granted. However, they work in an industry that has a fatal incident rate ten times higher than the national average, they cross the road on average 30,000 times a year and lift the equivalent of a double decker bus each day. These are significant hazards.”

HSE has sent out 71,000 information packs in the Leicester area detailing three simple steps that householders can take to directly prevent injuries to collection workers. These are:

• Never over-load your waste and recycling bin;
• Drive safely and with caution around your waste and recycling collection workers’ lorry; and
• Keep all areas clear of obstacles and anything they could slip on.

The information pack contains a sticker which HSE are encouraging householders to stick to their waste and recycling bin. The sticker asks collection workers to ‘watch your back’ when engaging in lifting activities.

Notes to editors

1 HSE is running pilot projects in the Northampton, Leicester and Cambridge areas which involve teams providing information direct to collection workers to make them aware of issues that affect their health and safety.

 homepage   services  training   ISO Systems   HSE Press

Guidance  HASWA   Recruitment  Contact  Links  Q&A

We operate as health and safety consultants to companies within the Uk including the following counties and towns; London, North, South, West, East, Central, Greater, Mid, Essex, Sussex, Surrey, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Kent,  Ashford, Broadstairs, Brighton, Canterbury,  Chatham,  Crayford, Dartford, Deal, Dover, Edinbridge, Erith, Faversham, Folkestone, Gillingham, Gravesend, Herne Bay, Hove, Hythe, Kings Hill, Lydd, Maidstone, Margate, Medway, Orpington, Ramsgate, Rochester, Sandwich, Sevenoaks, Sheerness, Sittingbourne, Southborough, Swanley, Tenterden, Tonbridge, Tonbridge Wells, Westerham, West Malling, Whitstable, Ireland,  Wales, Scotland, England, UK, We provide; Health & Safety Consultants, Health and Safety Training Courses, Health & Safety Policy, Fire Assessment, ISO 9000 management system, CIEH, OHSAS 18001 Systems