HSE issues new waste removal guidelines

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced a new booklet designed to improve the safety of those involved in hand sorting recyclables.

Hand sorting of recyclables, otherwise known as totting, can be one of the more dangerous aspects of waste removal and sorting given that it often involves large vehicles.

That's why the HSE has decided to take a much more in-depth look at educating those involved how to go about avoiding any accidents.

It looks specifically at the manual removal of materials direct from waste streams without the use of a picking line or any other dedicated recycling plant.

The process generally involves the removal of waste items that result from recycling plant blockages, the removal of plastics from green waste as well as the removal of recyclable materials from waste on the floor.

According to the HSE, there has been a history of incidents involving pedestrians and vehicles which are, tragically, 'almost always serious' and sometimes even fatal.

The HSE state: "The most serious risk associated with totting is a collision between a vehicle (eg lorry) or mobile plant (eg mechanical shovel) and a pedestrian (eg totter).

"Such collisions are almost always serious and can be fatal.

"Accidents happen because working practices have failed to achieve effective segregation of moving vehicles from pedestrians."

The new guidelines were developed after lengthy consultation work with stakeholders from the waste sector who sit on the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Forum.

Chris Jones, chair of WISH, told letsrecycle.com, that there was no reason why safety couldn't be improved in the process with workers being better protected.

He told the website: "The activity can be done safely but having large vehicles and equipment operating in close proximity to workers is always going to carry risks."

According to the HSE, between 2001/02 and 2009/10, there were a total of 57 fatalities in the waste management and recycling industry thanks to people being hit by moving vehicles.

This equates to an average of six people a year, these being both employees and members of the public.