Empty your own bins ...it’s too risky for us
HOUSEHOLDERS have been told to empty their own dustbins – because the job is too dangerous for dustmen.
Town hall chiefs fear the crews could injure themselves lifting heavy containers from recycling bins. [>
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So now residents in the Craven district of North Yorkshire – which has one of Britain’s highest elderly populations – are being asked to do the heavy work for them. [>
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The move has outraged residents, who pay for the collections. [>
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Jean Ainsworth, 80, of Cross Hills near Keighley said: “I can’t lift these containers out. Sometimes a neighbour takes the rubbish out for me, but he isn’t always around to help me. It’s disgusting and it makes me wonder what I’m paying my council tax for.” [>
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The problem centres around recycling bins introduced by the council three years ago. Each consists of three separate containers – one for paper and cardboard, one for glass and one for cans. [>
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The council says lifting these “pods” out of the bins for hours on end is a health and safety hazard for its collectors. [>
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They are happier lifting the pods from the ground next to the bins, because they can bend their legs properly, it says. [>
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In a letter to residents, the council said: “Unfortunately the success of the scheme is having a negative effect on many of our staff due to the awkward height of the bins and the amount of lifting they have to do during their working day. [>
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“This health and safety issue has been raised by our Corporate Safety Advisor and our Operational Management Team and we need to look at how we can improve the situation. [>
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“Could I ask that from your next collection day the ‘pods’ are removed and placed next to your blue bin for collection and not left within it. This would take a lot of the strain out of the job for our staff and reduce the risk of them sustaining injuries.” [>
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Resident Julie Ward, 40, said: “When I think about it I just crack up laughing. I think the binmen are being lazy. It is just so annoying we have got to start doing half their job for them.” [>
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Mark Wallace of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “This is a total dog’s dinner. Do the council really expect pensioners to lug around bottles rather than the binmen doing it?” [>
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A spokesman for Craven Council said residents had been asked to consider helping binmen by removing the pods, but said elderly and frail people were not expected to volunteer. [>
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He said: “It has been a request to residents to consider, if they feel able to manage it.” [>