Forum Topic

Health and Safety of wheelie bins

It appears that wheelie bins have to be washed out and disinfected very regularly.They should also be kept no nearer than 4.5 metres from a door or window of a residential dwelling as continual 24/7 emission of rotting waste is a potential health hazard. The lid does not guarantee airtight seal and fermentation takes place increasing toxic and smelly odours.So in streets with terraced houses with no rear access and limited frontal space how can both of these safety precautions be achieved?

Raymond Havelock ● 3586d25 Comments

Presumably you will have had a letter about it if you are 'required' to have a bin although maybe all letters have not yet been sent out. You could phone the wheelie bin hotline on 020 8583 2189 or email them on: wheeliebin@hounslow.gov.uk to find out. If you are to have a bin you could contest it. Otherwise, properties can share bins so you could share the bin with the downstairs property.Nightmarishly, for properties with small frontages at least, it seems as though there may also be a recycling bin on its way - see separate thread on this.

Anne England ● 3574d

I hope Mafeking Avenue is exempt as like you I live in an upper flat and have a very small front garden, what a nightmare!

Barbara Dudley ● 3574d

They will also make it impossible or very unlikely for anybody to want to chat over the garden fence as it will be hidden by wheelie bins.  In Brent I found there were all these enormous wheelie bins and there was still litter outside the bins.  In the half-light it was a rather threatening walk to where I was going.  I later found out that a young commuter had been stabbed on his way home along that route.I really agree that we should be able to use small ordinary dustbins to protect residual waste.

Philippa Bond ● 3579d

Oops! it did not paste.Courtesy Sunday Times:The streets of Glasgow were named as the most dangerous in Europe last week with a murder rate higher than in London and Belfast. While the streets of Edinburgh are altogether more genteel, there are nevertheless hidden dangers in the form of flying wheelie bins. Last week the city council issued a warning to residents following a spate of accidents in which people have had their faces whacked by wind-assisted wheelie-bin lids. The problem is caused by those who overfill their bins, turning them into lethal weapons at the sign of the slightest breeze. Such trifles would not concern the hardened residents of Glasgow, where a wheelie-bin slap in the mush is the sign of a good night out.

Raymond Havelock ● 3579d

This from the Sunday Times.Far more likely in confined spaces, narrow pavements, small house fronts etc.The council will have full legal responsibility should an injury occur. Could cost them thousands to be fully insured against the lids and bins damaging cars, property and people.

Raymond Havelock ● 3579d

Walking through Enfield road late last night and then into Enfield walk was like an obstacle course.Most of the pavements were blocked and it was impossible for a wheelchair user to get through the walk without me moving some of the bins first.But so many of these bins were full to overflowing. What I did notice was hardly any of the other recycling boxes and bags. A few green bags and the odd box.Clearly, eveything is getting chucked into the wheelie bin and I suspect the reverse is going to happen and recycling is going to take a huge leap backwards.With limited space, I can't see us using the boxes and the bags and the huge bin, so it is logical, most will simply go back to putting everything into one bin and be done with it.  That certainly looks the case in those streets last night.Crossing over to Brook Road South and all the recycling stuff was evident, neatly placed and stacked by almost every house and Black backs placed in or on top of the green boxes.Some, but only a few, had several black bags but most had just one.So why can we not have smaller bins or simply use an original dustbin which is less obtrusive and easier to manage than a wheelie bin for many with limited space?This is so ill conceived and devoid of honest simple clarity and common sense that one wonders if the kind of people behind this are a bit dim.If the heavy hand is required and gobbledegook propaganda is required, then there is clearly a flaw.  We are dreading the stench of soiled pampers from 3 children fermenting for up to 14 days 3ft from our front door, not to mention said neighbours dumping the overflow in the bins of others.Quite frankly, there should be a Pamper charge rather than a garden waste charge.  It's not the garden waste that causes the landfill problem, its the toxic waste from humans.

Raymond Havelock ● 3579d

This is all very true and I recycle down to the last bus ticket. I would also say that compliance with recycling is pretty high in my road. This thread is about the general waste wheelie bins though so maybe you should start another thread called Recycling Tips. What is exercising me is the compulsory introduction of 140L general waste bins. I've made my reasons very clear for that on the three current threads on the subject so won't repeat them here.Maybe they will suit multi-occupancy households and maybe some people don't mind them sitting outside in their small frontage 365 days of the year whilst being emptied a total of 26 times etc etc but I do. On the subject of recycling though, from something I have read on the W4 site, it appears that Ealing have also introduced mixed-use recycling bins as well as the general rubbish bins. I know that Hounslow Council have said that recycling will continue as is but I have emailed them asking them re their longer terms plans in this regard. If and when I get a reply, I will let you all know the answer.

Anne England ● 3579d

I'm still amazed at the number of people who don't flatten any cardboard boxes - not just the big ones but small ones.  Packaging is supposed to be designed to be recyclable now and many boxes just unfold to flatten or by undoing one side will flatten easily.Plastic bottles especially milk bottles are being made out of thinner plastic now and are much easier to flatten. http://www.wrap.org.uk/

Philippa Bond ● 3579d

I wonder if LBH learnt from the experience of introducing wheelie bins to the streets north of the A4? The so called suitability survey resulted in bins being delivered to Endfield Walk, a thoroughfare with no vehicular access and with many properties having nowhere to store bins.The result is that these receptacles now reside in the pedestrian street and are an absolute eyesore as well as an obstruction.In neighbouring Whitestile Road , flats above shops were not given wheelie bins for obvious reasons ,but their black bags remained uncollected for three weeks.In my own street ,Avenue Road , three households including my own ,asked for our bins to be taken away.This took six weeks.I had made an arrangement with my next door neighbour  to share the use of her wheelie bin.All went well till her bin disappeared on the morning of the weekly collection.According to the Sita employee who delivered a replacement some five weeks later,when bins are not properly secured as they are emptied , they are deposited in the lorry!!Our sharing arrangement works perfectly well for weekly collections.However with three households , comprising five people in total, it MAY be more difficult once collections are fortnightly, even though we are using all recycling containers. Good luck to the rest of Brentford residents.

David R Rowlands ● 3584d

Thanks Anne.  But as you say about Braemar, the small frontages are not really conducive to wheelie bins, they're too big!

Tracieanne Mortensen ● 3584d

Having read the Questions and Answers which came with the letter, it says that you can opt to share a bin with somebody. Given the amount the bin can hold i.e. 'sufficient for a family of five who recycle' (this is two weeks' worth as collection will be fortnightly), one bin should suffice for both flats. The best way to find out whether Mafeking is exempt is to phone: 020 8583 2189Re the amount the bin will hold and, all things being equal, for those living on their own, this means that the bin would hold ten weeks' worth of rubbish or five weeks' worth for a couple. Something like that, anyway.

Anne England ● 3584d

I hope Mafeking Avenue is not getting them, we only have small frontages as well, nowhere to put these monstrosities...and I think 'upper flat' in the address should give them a clue!!

Tracieanne Mortensen ● 3584d

http://en.calameo.com/read/003916221eb81665b1afa

Philippa Bond ● 3584d

So what food aren't you putting in the food waste bin?  You can put bones in and you can put all the cooked meat and things that you wouldn't normally put into ordinary home composting.http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/index/environment_and_planning/recycling/household_recycling/foodwaste.htm

Philippa Bond ● 3584d

and it I such a joke when the operatives walk along and lift the bags out of the wheelie bin.The other day out of London I watched the recycling collection.  OK so the flats had wheelie bins and those were hoisted up and over by the driver of the wheelie bin lorry.  In the distance I could see the other operatives walking along the street and tipping the green boxes full cans and plastic bottles into wheelie bins so that they could be picked up half way along the street.There is no need for small houses to have wheelie bins. An ordinary bin would suffice to protect black bags.They should be biting the bullet and dealing with educating the people who don't do anything and cause problems and not punishing everyone else.   

Philippa Bond ● 3584d

This is the rub, Who assesses in such secrecy. Do they know who only has a 2ft 10 hallway and who has an open plan? Who has rear access? Who has a wheelchair or bike parked in the front?I think it would be the same criteria who ever is running the borough.Dictatorial edicts with no real practical sense is not unique to any one ruling administration.It's common sense and practicality. And as ever all secret and rather sinister in its execution.

Raymond Havelock ● 3584d

I just phoned the Council again and, as I thought would be the case, I can not be given the information about which houses are exempt in the road and which are not - reason for wanting to know is to see what the criteria seem to be for exemption (other than disability). So, if you want to know whether your particular property is exempt, phone: 020 8583 2189. It is, in fact, a bit of a relief that not every house will be getting one, even if I will.

Anne England ● 3585d

I wonder how big the uproar would have been if it had been the Conservative/ICG Coalition that had introduced these bins and then announced fortnightly collections when they were in charge of the Borough

Paul Fisher ● 3585d

I'm not at all keen on the idea of wheelie bins along roads with small frontages like Braemar, Brook Road South and Lateward. What an eyesore 365 days of the year to get emptied 26 days of the year. I did phone the Council as I couldn't quite believe it and was told that in my road (Braemar) some houses will be exempt for some reason but that mine won't be. The dimensions of the bin will be: 107cm high and 58cm wide.It would be interesting to know exactly which houses will be exempt and why. I am also wondering how many of us, once we have the bins, will bother to try to wheel them through the house. I am sure there will be a good number who won't bother at all and others, with carpeting, certainly won't want to be wheeling them over the carpet.

Anne England ● 3585d

babies and infirm nappies, animal food sachets, bio hazardous waste, pet waste, fluid residue. All goes in wheelie bins.Not all foods are suitable for the food waste. Either we won't have space for the wheelie bin and a food waste box so one will have to go.  So as the food waste is minimal as most is composted what's left will have to go in the black bag.If we lived in a house with a side access, driveway and a proper front garden, I would be chomping at the bit for a wheelie bin.But presently we don't and trying to keep bikes, recycling bags and boxes, none of which can be taken through our 2'10" hallway plus a keep a tidy and presentable frontage is already difficult. A wheely bin obscuring a third of our only window is simply impractical.The Carbon footprint will increase as we will have to have a light on more.More water will be used to clean them out, more chemicals used to disinfect.So a problem is not solved, just shifted to others. Probably at greater eventual costWe've lived in a street with wheelie bins and particularly in the summer, the neighbours one stank, enough to make one wretch,  but it was bad every day all year long.  It was placed right by our breakfast room window. albeit with a fence between. A family of 7 and 2 bins were full by midweek.  No food waste boxes there then, so really smelly.They had so many cars on their drive the bins could go nowhere else.When it was bags it was not much better but at least away from the house.But that was in a semi with plenty of space at the front. It was easy to run the hose out the front and wash it out regularly. Something that is impossible here in Lateward Road. Who is actually going to bother?How are those who have constantly smelly bins just feet away from their neighbours, going to be dealt with?Unless you have clean, diligent, considerate neighbours, refuse can be a pain.At least with bags it's just for a day. but with a wheelie bin it's for life.

Raymond Havelock ● 3585d

What 'rotting waste'? Anything rotting should be in the food waste bins.

Susan Kelly ● 3585d

There is more. This is the standard for incorporating wheelie bins into new houses. Brought in due to the health problems caused by current wheelie bins. Unlike black bags, wheelie bins contain waste 24/7 unlike black bags which are generally only in situ for a few hours once a week.Storage Area• Free ventilation is essential. Developers should be aware of the possibility of nuisance to residents from flies, smells etc. if sited too close to ventilators or windows.• Theheightofthestoremust allow for the bin lid to be fully opened.• Areas should be designed to prevent parked cars or other obstructions blocking doors and the route between the storage area and the collection vehicle (for example “no parking” hatching).• The inside dimensions of the store should allow sufficient space for residents to enter, and for bins to be manoeuvred around one another if necessary.• The interior should be constructed from a solid impervious material suitable for washing down• The doors from the refuse store must be physically restrained from opening onto the highway. Ideally the gates should slide open or open inwards.• Door locks should be of the standard Fire Brigade type.Reversing DistThe normal maximum permissible reversing distance is 12 metres. The Health and Safety Executive rate reversing as the single highest riskwhen driving a vehicle and it should therefore be avoided at all cost.Vehicle Size9.4 metres length 2.5 metres wide 3.6 metres highTurning Circle15 metresAccessVehicle tracking diagrams must be provided. Swept path analysis based on the above vehicle is required to show ingress /egress and on site turning where proposed.Vehicle Size and Manoeuvring

Raymond Havelock ● 3585d

They have just sent me one but not the right one.But the link is pasted below. The other one asap.This is for operatives. However when one reads it, the hazards for operatives in very urban areas and limited space are quite high and dangerous.However, operatives are paid and insured by their employers should an accident or injury occur from a mishap with a wheelie bin.They are also expected to be fit, agile and have full use of upper body strength to handle wheelie and eurobins.Ealing is already in breach of H&S by the oversized trucks and side loaders designed for boulevard streets and not small side streets. One hopes LBH does not order the same oversized vehicles and has taken the trouble to see what a huge and costly mess their Environment overlord Cllr. Mahfouz has managed to preside over and learn from his somewhat naive (or dodgy) gaffes.So this report presumably also applies to  5ft 1'' 92 year old, Gladys and the very many like her who, as usual are sidelined in such grand schemes.http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_pdf/2002/hsl02-21.pdf

Raymond Havelock ● 3585d

Found it on a health and safety report in the library.For the Vale Of Aylesbury!  2011Have applied for an online version.

Raymond Havelock ● 3585d

What's the source of this Raymond?

Paul Scullion ● 3586d