Consultation with the Commissioners’ Refuse Collection contractor, Kinrade Bros. Haulage, has been ongoing since the beginning of the current Coronavirus situation.As a consequence of meetings yesterday, this update and request for assistance is being issued to residents:
– Reducing direct staff contact with waste materials –
The aim of the following measures is to ensure that the roundsmen are able to mechanically ‘tip’ the maximum amount of waste. This will reduce the amount of times they are asked to come into direct hand-contact with waste bags and materials.
The principal refuse vehicles have remote ‘tipping’ facilities, whilst properties in remote areas (or areas with narrow lanes, etc.) are serviced by a much smaller vehicle which does not have ‘tip’ facilities. This means that staff have to handle the waste by hand.
Please note the following if you live in a property serviced by the small vehicle:
1. It is vital that your all your refuse is enclosed in bags that are sturdy and fit for purpose. Please continue to bag securely and ensure that the bags are tied firmly and not punctured. It would assist further if double-bagging occurred.
2. For the duration of the current emergency some residents may be approached and asked to leave their wheelie-bin beside a road that can be accessed by a ‘tipping’ vehicle. This action will reduce the amount of ‘hand-contact’ that the roundsmen have with waste-bags.
– Side Waste will not be collected –
3. The Commissioners have instructed the contractor that they must not pick up side-bags or side-waste from beside wheelie-bins. If side-waste is put out it will not be collected, however a note will be left explaining that the waste can be placed into the newly emptied wheelie-bin by the resident prior to it being collected the following week.
– Wheelie-bin handles & lids –
4. Please clean your bin’s handles with disinfectant/anti-bacterial products prior to and post collection.
5. The Commissioners request that residents ensure that lids on Wheelie-bins are fully down prior to collection.
– Ensuring the current service continues —
All these actions are intended to safeguard the well-being of the roundsmen so that refuse collection can remain resilient and continue as normal throughout this very difficult period.
There are other contingencies that will be put into place if necessary, but the current provision is clearly the best option for delivery of this essential service through the coming weeks and months.
The Commissioners are acutely aware of the pressures, particularly on larger households, but request that every effort is made to compact refuse so that lids are down and wheelie bins do not overflow. Further contingency measures are also being discussed across the local authority and government networks.
Further updates will be issued in due course.
The Commissioners thank you in anticipation of your assistance at this time.
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