The Met Office’s highest warning means there is a risk to life and covers large parts of England. Amber warnings are in force for the rest of England, Wales and southern Scotland.
The waste sector trade association, the Environmental Services Association, has spoken of the conditions being challenging and of the potential for the risk of fires. A spokesperson said: “The current hot conditions could provide some challenges to waste operations. In particular, the risk of fires could be heightened and so operators should remain extra vigilant. At landfill and other sites, operators will as always be taking all practical steps to minimise odours and control any pests at sites.”
While a string of councils have moved collections earlier, the option of postponing them until after the red warning days when the weather will be cooler is being kept open.
There does not appear to have been any public announcements about the closure of household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs), but this is seen as a possibility by some if temperatures reach the 40°C being forecast.
However, over the weekend (16-17 July), some councils took the step of shortening opening hours to allow staff to keep safe during the extreme heat.
This includes Thurrock council, as seen below and Windsor and Maidenhead. Both authorities have opted to close their facilities at 1PM and 2PM respectively.
Linford Household Waste and Recycling Centre will open early at 7am and close at 1pm next Monday and Tuesday, 18 & 19 July, because of the Red Extreme Heat Alert which has been issued.
This decision has been taken to protect the welfare of staff working at the tip pic.twitter.com/oSmXeL7V5o
— Thurrock Council (@thurrockcouncil) July 16, 2022
Advice
The Met Office and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have both offered advice documents which employers are using to keep staff safe.
On the Met Office’s advice page, it warned people to avoid physical exertion in the hottest parts of the day, have access to water and keep out of the sun between 11am and 3pm. It added that older people and those with underlying conditions are particularly at risk.
It is important to keep yourself hydrated and to find shade where possible
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the government’s UK Health Security Agency, said: “Heat-health alerts have now been issued to the majority of the country, with temperatures set to remain consistently high throughout the duration of this week.
“Most of us can enjoy the hot weather when it arrives, but it is important to keep yourself hydrated and to find shade where possible when UV rays are strongest, between 11am and 3pm”.
⚠️⚠️🔴 Red Extreme heat warning issued 🔴⚠️⚠️
Parts of England on Monday and Tuesday
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMg9c70
Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/YHaYvaGh95
— Met Office (@metoffice) July 15, 2022
Timetables
In the HSE guidance, employers have been urged to reschedule work to cooler times of the day, provide more frequent rest breaks and introduce shading to rest areas.
These steps have been taken by councils for refuse crews, with many starting rounds as early as 5am to beat the hottest parts of the day.
Other steps on the HSE advise page include:
- Provide free access to cool drinking water
- Introduce shading in areas where individuals are working
- Encourage the removal of personal protective equipment when resting to help encourage heat loss
- Educate workers about recognising the early symptoms of heat stress
Councils also have their own protocols to follow, including tips from WISH and other agencies too.
John Coates, head of external affairs at the local authority recycling officers group LARAC, said: “Decisions on prioritising collections or adjusting operational times will be based on local knowledge and circumstances. Whilst these situations are challenging, councils have an excellent track record of responding with the right balance of meeting residents’ expectations whilst taking care of their staff.”
HWRCs
A spokesperson for FCC Environment, which runs many HWRCs , said the company will endeavour to keep all sites open, but is “monitoring the situation closely”.
“FCC Environment has the wellbeing of employees firmly at the front of decision making. A number of measures have been put in place for example most collections contracts are being flexible on start times and where this is not possible, we are trying to modify the day to get the crews completed as quickly as possible.
“In addition we have we have issued an alert to all our teams advising of the precautions to be taken during the heatwave”.
Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our key workers
– Biffa
Memo
Waste management company Biffa has also sent round an internal memo to all staff working outside featuring advice on how to stay safe during the heatwave. This references factors such as the importance of hydration, wearing sun protection and keeping in the shade wherever possible.
A Biffa spokesperson said: “Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our key workers.
“Our collection crews are starting work earlier than normal during the hot weather and are being encouraged to drink plenty of water. A range of lightweight protective clothing is also available.”
Shorts
A spokesperson for Greater Cambridge Shared Waste, a partnership between South Cambridgeshire district and Cambridge city councils, shared the results of a trial it undertook to allow crews to wear shorts.
The trial in 2019 “did not lead to any additional incidents or near misses that were related to the wearing of short trousers. As a result, Greater Cambridge Shared Waste crews can still wear them today”, the partnership spokesperson said.
The wearing of shorts is allowed between April and October.
The spokesperson added: “The advantages of the seasonal wearing as opposed to directly related to temperature is both beneficial for safety, due to increased daylight hours, as well as operationally for managers as they do not have to over police or get involved with inaccurate weather predictions.
“The work that was put in to allow staff to wear short trousers has paid dividends through both mental health and staff wellbeing. If the correct work risk assessment is carried out, including supporting procedures, monitoring and supervision, then for certain waste tasks the risks have not been increased. Previous obstacles to wearing shorts had been that no one had invested time to carry out a trial, collect data and made a decision. There was just the history of always saying no.”
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