Hertfordshire Recycling Staff Continue to Face Violence

Recycling facilities in Hertfordshire have continued to experience violent incidents targeting their employees, the county council reported, as efforts are underway to understand the reasons behind these assaults. The authority indicated that there remains “an unacceptable level of abuse and aggression directed towards site staff,” despite a reduction in incidents from 50 to 30 over the past year. To address the violence, all sites have been equipped with body-worn video cameras, and staff members have received customer service training. A report authored by Andrew McGinn, the recycling centres’ team leader, stated that work is in progress with the council’s behavioural change unit “to identify the cause of incidents of abuse and implement strategies to address them.” The report affirmed, “Abusive or threatening behaviour or harassment towards our employees is unacceptable and HCC [Hertfordshire County Council] will always seek an investigation by the police wherever feasible and will press for the strongest penalties against offenders.” Furthermore, the report commended the introduction of body cameras for staff, noting their effectiveness as a deterrent against aggressive conduct and their successful application “in challenging complaints from site users.” It also mentioned that the county’s road maintenance workers had shared best practices for handling abusive behaviour.