Binmen can't empty bins because of health and safety (From Basildon Recorder)
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Binmen can't empty bins because of health and safety
12:00pm Monday 22nd October 2012 in News
Angry Benfleet resident Nicola Litman
ANGRY neighbours have been left down in the dumps after forking out for wheely bins that dustbin men are not allowed to empty.
Nicola Litman, 49, of St Mary’s Road, Benfleet, spent £150 on three bins that used to be emptied by Castle Point Council, but now she has been told waste workers cannot empty them due to health and safety reasons.
She and her neighbours invested in the containers to keep the area clean and tidy and to prevent foxes from ripping into rubbish sacks left out for collection.
Although she can remove the sacks easily enough, she does not see why she should have to, but says elderly residents are not as capable and struggle to empty the bins.
She said: “It’s ludicrous, where’s the sense in that? I don’t see the difference between emptying the wheely bins or taking the rubbish from the path.
“We’ve wasted our money and also it’s the litter side of it. Even when you put the sacks out in the morning foxes still rip the bags to shreds and the dustbin men won’t pick the rubbish up that’s been pulled out.”
A Castle Point Council spokeswoman explained that before its new waste service was introduced, residents were surveyed and the majority of replies favoured the use of sacks over wheely bins.
She said: “As the council provides a sack rather than a wheeled bin collection service - other than for trade waste and some communal areas - the collection vehicles we use to collect household waste do not have bin lifts fitted and so we are therefore unable to empty wheeled bins directly into the collection vehicles.
“Retrieving waste from a wheeled bin can be problematic and there are health and safety issues associated with reaching down into deep sided bins to remove waste at the bottom of the bins.
“For this reason, whilst residents can if they so wish store their waste in a bin it is our policy to require that it is removed from the bin when presented for collection.”
Comments(36)
Basildon.lad.21
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12:13pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Basildon.lad.21
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12:13pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Ian P
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12:18pm Mon 22 Oct 12
AndyBSG wrote:I would agree with you if residents were consulted. However, as a resident of Castle Point I am unable to recall being consulted and if I had been I would most certainly have voted for wheely bins.
I have to say that if the residents were consulted and the majority decision was in favour of loose sacks rather than wheely bins and that is what the council have catered for then I can understand the problem... If I was a bin man I wouldn't want to put my hands down into a bin which could contain syringes!
TherealIndiana
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12:21pm Mon 22 Oct 12
TherealIndiana
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12:21pm Mon 22 Oct 12
GentleGiant
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12:24pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Why they cannot empty bins, I have no idea.
The word jobsworth comes to my mind.
Speedysnail
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1:01pm Mon 22 Oct 12
I can understand having the bins but then castle point should have a way of emptying them if they want residents to use them.
Hathi67
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1:40pm Mon 22 Oct 12
GentleGiant wrote:Totally agree, Jobsworth is an understatement.
They have to collect any spilt rubbish within 6 feet of where the bag split. However castle point dustman do not.
Why they cannot empty bins, I have no idea.
The word jobsworth comes to my mind.
Olivia2847
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1:51pm Mon 22 Oct 12
TherealIndiana wrote:Either a very small driveway or big bins? Ask them to drop them off at the back door every time they pass by and give them a cup of tea and a biscuit ........
We were forced by the council to have wheelie bins which take up half the driveway, nobody asked us what we would have preferred the amount of times I have lost count of the times I have had to stop my car in the middle of a busy road to move the bins left across my driveway after emptying.
rjsizzler
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2:18pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Hathi67
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2:20pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Olivia2847 wrote:Re comment by Olivia2847
TherealIndiana wrote:Either a very small driveway or big bins? Ask them to drop them off at the back door every time they pass by and give them a cup of tea and a biscuit ........
We were forced by the council to have wheelie bins which take up half the driveway, nobody asked us what we would have preferred the amount of times I have lost count of the times I have had to stop my car in the middle of a busy road to move the bins left across my driveway after emptying.
In Rochford we have to have 3 bins which DOES take up a lot of space and Yes they do leave them accross the driveways which stops you getting on your drive.
Olivia2847
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2:30pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Hathi67 wrote:Which 'do' .......
Olivia2847 wrote:Re comment by Olivia2847
TherealIndiana wrote:Either a very small driveway or big bins? Ask them to drop them off at the back door every time they pass by and give them a cup of tea and a biscuit ........
We were forced by the council to have wheelie bins which take up half the driveway, nobody asked us what we would have preferred the amount of times I have lost count of the times I have had to stop my car in the middle of a busy road to move the bins left across my driveway after emptying.
In Rochford we have to have 3 bins which DOES take up a lot of space and Yes they do leave them accross the driveways which stops you getting on your drive.
Olivia2847
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2:33pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Olivia2847 wrote:Should have thought of that before you bought them ......
TherealIndiana wrote:Either a very small driveway or big bins? Ask them to drop them off at the back door every time they pass by and give them a cup of tea and a biscuit ........
We were forced by the council to have wheelie bins which take up half the driveway, nobody asked us what we would have preferred the amount of times I have lost count of the times I have had to stop my car in the middle of a busy road to move the bins left across my driveway after emptying.
rjsizzler
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2:40pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Olivia2847 wrote:You don't get a choice in Rochford District Council.
Olivia2847 wrote:Should have thought of that before you bought them ......TherealIndiana wrote: We were forced by the council to have wheelie bins which take up half the driveway, nobody asked us what we would have preferred the amount of times I have lost count of the times I have had to stop my car in the middle of a busy road to move the bins left across my driveway after emptying.Either a very small driveway or big bins? Ask them to drop them off at the back door every time they pass by and give them a cup of tea and a biscuit ........
You have to use the wheely bins they provide (we don't have to buy them though).
Olivia2847
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3:46pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Nebs
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3:50pm Mon 22 Oct 12
nutty nan
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5:56pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Speedysnail wrote:Nicola Litman says that although she can remove the sacks easily enough, she does'nt see why she should have to. The reason why she should is because we have sack collections in castlepoint - we to have bins to store our filled sacks into but unlike Nicola Litman we put the sacks out on collection day. My Mum lives in Hockley and they have bins and Wednesdays are a nightmare with traffic delays etc. There is nothing wrong with our bin men and they are certainly not jobworths
Another case of health and safety making a mockery of a job. What happened before all these silly health and safety laws came in? People could live their lives is the way I see it.
I can understand having the bins but then castle point should have a way of emptying them if they want residents to use them.
maddriver
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7:28pm Mon 22 Oct 12
The use of these bins may be convenient for this small group of residents but will mean delays and inconvenience for others, so the Council are quite right in their refusal.(Not often I agree with CPBC Officials!!)
whataday
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9:07pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Ian P wrote:Agree with Ian As a resident of Castle Point I have never been consulted about bin bags or wheelie bins. I have however contacted them asking whether we could have wheelie bins because the bags are forver being split open by foxes, cats etc. and the rubbish strewn around. I was told Castle Point would not have wheelie bins because they would have to get different rubbish lorries which lifted the bins.
AndyBSG wrote:I would agree with you if residents were consulted. However, as a resident of Castle Point I am unable to recall being consulted and if I had been I would most certainly have voted for wheely bins.
I have to say that if the residents were consulted and the majority decision was in favour of loose sacks rather than wheely bins and that is what the council have catered for then I can understand the problem... If I was a bin man I wouldn't want to put my hands down into a bin which could contain syringes!
Almeda11
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9:29pm Mon 22 Oct 12
AndyBSG wrote:lf this country had ANY sense whatsoever they would do what they do in Germany, and probably most other countries in Europe and provide a platform on the back of the dustcart.
I have to say that if the residents were consulted and the majority decision was in favour of loose sacks rather than wheely bins and that is what the council have catered for then I can understand the problem... If I was a bin man I wouldn't want to put my hands down into a bin which could contain syringes!
This goes upwards, with the bin placed on it and when it gets to the right height it simply tips forward and everything falls out.
Simple, why can`t this country either think of things like that themselves or copy other countries` intelligent approaches? Or is that too difficult for them to do also!
bob64
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10:32pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Bin men are very hard working and always rush about, you never see hem slacking.
The Rochford triple bin system is fabulous.
APR
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11:59pm Mon 22 Oct 12
Jilly from Leigh
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8:22am Tue 23 Oct 12
I store mine in an ordinary CHEAP plastic dustbin from the corner shop till the last minute,
Lines of wheelie bins are really ugly. There are places where they have to be kept out in front of the property (as in Rectory Lane, Chelmsford where the houses have flights of steps to reach the front doors and narrow sideways between blocks of terraced houses) and all you see is a line of bins down the street all week!.
Some of us in Leigh have garden wheelie bins and YES they ARE often left blocking access to the driveway, and sometimes dumped half on the footpath and half on the grass verge. Also, food waste bins seem to be just chucked down any old where and it there's a windy day ........they get killed by passing vehicles!!!!
Eric Whim
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9:04am Tue 23 Oct 12
GentleGiant
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11:22am Tue 23 Oct 12
Oh and it is health and safety as they also refuse to empty small black bins in case there are needles etc. inside the bin!
They will however remove the black bags if you do not put a lid on the bin - so we are grateful for that :)
Hathi67
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12:48pm Tue 23 Oct 12
Olivia2847 wrote:In Rochford Council area we did not buy the bins we were supplied them by the council so we had no say in the matter.
Olivia2847 wrote:Should have thought of that before you bought them ......
TherealIndiana wrote:Either a very small driveway or big bins? Ask them to drop them off at the back door every time they pass by and give them a cup of tea and a biscuit ........
We were forced by the council to have wheelie bins which take up half the driveway, nobody asked us what we would have preferred the amount of times I have lost count of the times I have had to stop my car in the middle of a busy road to move the bins left across my driveway after emptying.
Rochford Rob
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1:00pm Tue 23 Oct 12
All this green carbon reducing nonsense - they send out three diffrent types of truck on different days - try getting through Hockley on a 'bin day' - nigh on impossible.
In France each village has loads of huge bins - you put what you want when you want in them. ( A bit like the old days over here)
Oh, and the empty green bin gets left in the middle of the drive - blocking the entrance. Maybe that's standard practice.
Olivia2847
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2:22pm Tue 23 Oct 12
Jilly from Leigh wrote:Thank you Jilly I use my bins to keep the horse feed and my polo sticks in !
Living in Leigh-on-Sea we have black bags.
I store mine in an ordinary CHEAP plastic dustbin from the corner shop till the last minute,
Lines of wheelie bins are really ugly. There are places where they have to be kept out in front of the property (as in Rectory Lane, Chelmsford where the houses have flights of steps to reach the front doors and narrow sideways between blocks of terraced houses) and all you see is a line of bins down the street all week!.
Some of us in Leigh have garden wheelie bins and YES they ARE often left blocking access to the driveway, and sometimes dumped half on the footpath and half on the grass verge. Also, food waste bins seem to be just chucked down any old where and it there's a windy day ........they get killed by passing vehicles!!!!
Chris Flunk
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2:30pm Tue 23 Oct 12
If she's not prepared to do that then she shouldn't be using a wheelie bin as the council does not have the equipment to support collection.
Chris Flunk
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2:38pm Tue 23 Oct 12
Chris Flunk wrote:Sorry, number 72, not 12.
Crikey, if she lives at house number 12, it looks like she could easily afford to buy the council a wheelie bin truck just to collect her rubbish.
If she's not prepared to do that then she shouldn't be using a wheelie bin as the council does not have the equipment to support collection.
Olivia2847
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2:42pm Tue 23 Oct 12
GreenRabbit
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2:43pm Tue 23 Oct 12
APR
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7:53pm Tue 23 Oct 12
APR
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10:19pm Wed 24 Oct 12
She was ringing up the council demanding a bigger wheelie bin.
Because she said , " we have eight bedrooms". She was told that the number of bedrooms you have is immaterial.
TherealIndiana
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9:20am Thu 25 Oct 12
Olivia2847 wrote:I own a Fiesta.......are you just visiting this planet?
Sell the Volvo and buy a smaller car ...
AndyBSG says...
12:09pm Mon 22 Oct 12