Recycling containers pose risk to refuse collectors, study suggests

Updated

Lifting kerbside recycling containers has been linked to health problems among refuse collectors in a new study.

Researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) looked at the effect of lifting various types of rubbish bins, sacks and boxes over a four-year period at an unnamed local authority.

They identified no significant issues with wheelie bins but handling all other containers was found to cause long-term musculoskeletal disorders.

The joint study with the University of Greenwich used a body-mapping method to identify problem areas, and an average pain count to examine lower back, shoulder, neck and upper spine complaints.

Lifting boxes, such as those used to collect bottles and paper, were the most likely to cause pain.

Professor Billy Hare, who headed the GCU team, said: “If we want our refuse workers to work more productively for longer, and with fewer health problems, then the use of wheeled bins is an essential starting point.

“The negative health effects of using sacks, baskets and boxes for waste collection have been known for some time now but the research up until this point has been purely lab-based, which some find difficult to relate to their day-to-day work.

“This study has used real-life field data for the first time, to dispel any doubts held by local authorities over the benefits of using wheeled bins.”

Lower back pain was caused as a result of “bending, twisting, lifting and sorting recycling into different components and bins”, the study found.

It showed pain declined after the introduction of wheelie bins in 2013 compared to the previous year, but increased by 2014 when the local authority introduced additional sacks, bags and baskets for garden, food and other waste.

The research was published by the journal Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).

Andy Robertson, IOSH Environmental and Waste Management Group chairman, said: “Figures released by the Health and Safety Executive show around 70% of all workers in the waste management industry are involved in municipal household and commercial collections.

“These collections account for about 80% of all the reported injuries, with the most common being musculoskeletal disorders.”

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