Council Implements Safety Campaign After 72 Bin Lorry Collisions

Barnsley Council has announced its objective to achieve “zero” crashes involving its bin lorries, following 72 incidents recorded over a three-year period. A safety campaign has been initiated in Barnsley, where these collisions with waste collection vehicles have been characterized as “avoidable.” Matt O’Neill, the council’s executive director of growth and sustainability, stated that the refuse industry is considered one of the most “dangerous” in the UK. He further remarked: “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.” Earlier this year, an inquiry concluded that the death of a council waste collector in Coventry, who became entangled in lifting equipment in January 2023, was a “foreseeable” accident. In December 2022, a woman in her 60s died after being struck by the open rear door of a bin lorry in the village of Wentworth, Rotherham. In Barnsley, none of the 72 collisions proved fatal. According to the council, the total number of collisions across the borough is decreasing, with 16 incidents reported this year, compared to 22 in 2023 and 34 in 2022. As part of this campaign, staff will receive additional training, supplementing the annual winter training programme, and will begin and end their shifts at the depot. The Local Democracy Reporting Service indicated that these measures are designed to ensure staff have access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and receive wellbeing checks from managers. The council also urged residents to ensure bins are placed safely by keeping lids closed, avoiding overfilling, and parking considerately to allow waste vehicles clear passage. Mr. O’Neill commented: “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.” He added: “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.” He concluded by saying: “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.” Barnsley Council confirmed that the new programme would not lead to any changes in the existing service.