INDUSTRY
NEWS Send your news stories to:
editor@skiphiremagazine.co.uk
Call for urgent action issued as risk of rough sleepers in bins rises
A NEWLY published report by waste management company Biffa, the Open University and the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), calls for waste companies, waste producers, homeless charities and the general public to adopt a new approach to tackle homeless people sleeping in bins.
CIWM, Biffa and StreetLink first carried out a study in 2014 into homelessness and the rates of people taking refuge in bins for the night. The new follow-up study concludes that, although there have been improvements across the industry to prevent people sleeping in bins, there are still many concerning statistics:
• The UK homeless population has significantly increased in recent years, meaning more people are at risk (Data source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 2019)
• 35% of waste companies discovered people sleeping in bins within the last 12 months, compared to 21% in 2014
• Only 40% of commercial bins in use are fitted with working locks, which is the same as in 2014 despite industry guidelines
• People are discovered taking shelter in bins all year round – this is not just a winter problem
• There have been seven known fatalities in the past five years from people sleeping in bins (Data source: Health & Safety Executive)
6
The findings demonstrate that there is a long way to go and a lot more to do to prevent people using bins as a place of refuge. A collaborative approach involving waste companies, waste producers - particularly those operating in town centres - homeless charities and the general public is crucial to save lives and prevent risk of serious injury. This new approach includes several key recommendations:
• Training and written policies to be in place for employees working at waste management companies
• Ensuring bins are secure and inaccessible, either fitted with locks or held in a locked area
• Danger stickers on bins to suit a range of languages and reading abilities
• Contacting homelessness charities when a homeless person is found near a bin
• Processes to be in place at waste management businesses to report when people are discovered in bins
Trevor Nicoll, president of CIWM, said: “Continuing to raise awareness and share good operational practice is essential to help prevent people sleeping in bins.
“As the professional body for the sector, we are very pleased to be involved as a partner with Biffa and the Open University in this useful research. We hope it is the start of further work to reduce the risks associated with people sleeping in bins and strengthen
collaborative working with homeless charities.”
Dr Toni Gladding from The Open University added: “This new research, which has been updated from 2014, shows that people sleeping in bins remains an issue of real concern, and there have been several fatalities in the past few years. Once people enter a bin to sleep the risk of harm is a real possibility. There needs to be a nationally agreed approach to this issue which will likely consist of a partnership between the customer who is the waste producer, homelessness services and the waste operator to help prevent these tragic incidences.”
The full report is available to download from
www.biffa.co.uk/publications
@SkipHireMag 0161 482 6220
Trevor Nicoll, president of CIWM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
