Safety campaign launched after 72 collisions with bin lorries reported over three years

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A safety campaign has been launched in Barnsley after 72 collisions involving bin lorries were reported over the last three years.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council say its new ‘be safe, work safe, target zero’ campaign aims to reduce the number of avoidable collisions related to waste collection to zero.

The campaign comes after the tragic death of a waste collector in Coventry earlier this year after becoming entangled in lifting equipment which was found to be a ‘foreseeable’ accident.

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The waste collection industry remains one of the most dangerous sectors in the UK, carrying risks such as vehicle collisions and accidents with lifting equipment.

Residents are also encourage to play their part in keeping staff safe, such as parking considerately to allow bin lorries to pass, closing bin lids properly to prevent waste from falling out, and not overfilling bins as the mechanism on collection vehicles has a weight limit of 50kg.Residents are also encourage to play their part in keeping staff safe, such as parking considerately to allow bin lorries to pass, closing bin lids properly to prevent waste from falling out, and not overfilling bins as the mechanism on collection vehicles has a weight limit of 50kg.
Residents are also encourage to play their part in keeping staff safe, such as parking considerately to allow bin lorries to pass, closing bin lids properly to prevent waste from falling out, and not overfilling bins as the mechanism on collection vehicles has a weight limit of 50kg.

In Barnsley, 72 collisions involving collection vehicles were recorded in the past three years.

The council says none were fatal, and the number of collisions across the borough is falling, with 16 incidents recorded this year compared to 22 in 2023 and 34 in 2022.

Barnsley Council is rolling out updated training and support for its waste and recycling team to improve safety and quality for both employees and the public, and waste collection operatives will start and end their shifts at the council’s main depot.

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This will ensure staff will have access to PPE and wellbeing checks from managers.

Residents are also encourage to play their part in keeping staff safe, such as parking considerately to allow bin lorries to pass, closing bin lids properly to prevent waste from falling out, and not overfilling bins as the mechanism on collection vehicles has a weight limit of 50kg.

Matt O’Neill, executive director of growth and sustainability at Barnsley Council, said: “We know from the data that waste collection is one of the most dangerous industries in the UK. Therefore, it’s vitally important we work with our teams to accelerate our progress towards zero collisions to ensure the welfare of our employees and the public.

“Thanks to the hard work of our staff in waste and recycling collection, we have seen vehicle collisions related to waste collection reduce over the past few years. However, we simply believe that any avoidable collision is one too many.

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“There are many risks involved in waste collection, not just vehicle collisions, as highlighted all too tragically by the death of a waste collection worker in Coventry. We want to make sure all our employees go home safely at the end of the day, and we’re not prepared to risk the welfare of our employees or the public. That’s why we’re launching our Be Safe, Work Safe, Target Zero campaign.

“Achieving zero collisions across the year is an ambitious target. However, we have seen other councils make great progress against similarly ambitious targets and we are convinced that by working together with our dedicated waste and collection teams, we can reach Target Zero and keep everybody safe.”

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