LAWR

WASTE COLLECTION Health and safety challenge: Rough sleepers in bins With the cold nights drawing in it is tempting for people sleeping rough to seek shelter in waste and recycling bins. StreetLink director Matt Harrison says that they are putting their lives at risk. Liz Gyekye investigates what the industry is doing to tackle the issue. arlier this year, CIWM partnered with waste and recycling com- pany Biffa and the rough sleeping service StreetLink to publish research on rough sleepers taking shelter in containers. This was in response to a number of industry-wide near misses and fatalities. It revealed that people sleeping rough do seek shelter in waste and recycling bins, particularly in cold or wet weather, which is putting their lives at risk and has resulted in a number of fatalities. The research also found that 38% of people sleeping in bins were only discov- ered by waste collection crews during the lifting operation, while 16% were exposed when they were tipped out. Some 176 waste management organi- sations responded to the survey's ques- tionnaire which sought to establish, for the first time, the issues, risks and prevention of people sleeping in waste containers. The study showed that people are most likely, though not exclusively, to be found sleeping in unlocked bins stored at the rear or side of buildings; and largely in urban areas. This has led to calls for all commercial wheeled bins to be fitted with locks. UK Container Maintenance (UKCM), a container repair and refurbishment specialist dedicated to the renovation of waste and recycling containers, is one firm that recently announced that it was to install "New Forest Locks" to con- tainers in a bid to combat people taking shelter in containers. UKCM co-founder Emma Elston tells LAWR: "We have been fitting New Forest Locks for many of our local authority customer base for some time now. We find that these are the safest type of locking system that can be fitted to containers as it ensures that vehi- cle operators have to leave the vehicle, remove the lock and check the container before emptying its contents. "Since the study earlier this year by Biffa and CIWM, customers are making even more effort to secure their contain- ers. Many have looked at other options but most of our customers who use the New Forest Locks like the simplicity, ease of use and cost effectiveness of the device." Elston also says she has received great feedback from the industry with UKCM's new initiative: "The feedback we have received from customers is that it gives them added peace of mind more than anything, as they are ensuring the safety of others. Sometimes the oldest and simplest solutions to combat these problems are the best." StreetLink director Matt Harrison adds: "The joint report with Biffa and the CIWM highlighted the fact that rough sleepers seeking shelter in bins is a seri- ous issue and industry-wide action could help to save lives. This remains true, and we recommend that waste firms ensure that this issue is included in any health and safety policy and training, and that waste collectors are vigilant in checking bins before tipping. "Different types of locks will certainly help, but are not a fool-proof solution, so it is vital that staff and customers are aware of the problem and know what to do if they find someone. We have been working with Biffa to raise awareness throughout the organisation and would welcome the opportunity to work with other waste management companies to do the same. "Ultimately, we want to help rough sleepers off the streets before they have a chance to seek shelter in a bin. Anyone who is concerned about a rough sleep- er can contact StreetLink via www. streetlink.org.uk and help connect them to local support." 20 Local Authority Waste & Recycling July 2008 E UKCM adds new 'Forest Locks' to its containers in a bid to combat people taking shelter in containers. • More than two thirds of the bins involved in an incident were 1100L containers with a lid. • The majority of containers (83%) involved in an incident in the last 12 months were in an urban location. • 14% had experienced this about once per year and 7% every few months. • Of those incidents that took place in the last 12 months, the presence of a working lock had little impact on whether someone was found in the bin. Key figures from CIWM, Biffa and StreetLink report

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