HSE launches mental health campaign for HGV drivers
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said it has taken a “significant step” in addressing the well-being of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers by unveiling the “BeAMate” campaign.
The initiative, which includes the provision of free and confidential health support 24/7, enables drivers to seek assistance by texting the service when it’s safe to do so.
The programme is administered in collaboration with the mental health charities Working Minds, and Mates in Mind. The HSE said the course is “uniquely tailored” to tackle the mental health challenges encountered by drivers during their journeys.
Elizabeth Goodwill, from the HSE’s stress and mental health policy team said: “HGV drivers keep the country and our economy moving. Its therefore vital employers meet their legal duty to ensure risks of stress and mental ill health are factored into risk assessments.
“Initiatives such as ‘BeAMate’ are helpful for people needing individual help, but we would like to see more focus on preventing work-related stress at an organisational level, to stop it developing into poor mental health.
“We look forward to working with the Road Haulage Association and Mates in Mind to provide employers with the help they need to protect and support drivers.”
Unions criticise Caerphilly over decision to monitor residents recycling habits
Both Unison and the GMB unions have criticised Caerphilly county borough after it unveiled plans to instruct community safety wardens within the locality to oversee residents’ recycling behaviours
Unison and GMB, representing the wardens, have asserted that the decision from the council was formulated without consulting the safety wardens and provided an extensive argument to the council highlighting the flaws in the decision.
Unison Caerphilly branch secretary, Lianne Dallimore, said: “We are proud Wales is a leader in recycling and we want our council to encourage local people to do more too. However, these proposals are wrong on just about every count.
“You can’t police recycling if residents don’t know the rules to follow. Without this information, it’s easy to imagine the fear it may cause or resistance it may generate from households.
“We’ve shown councillors evidence of the extent local people are worried about drug dealing and other anti-social behaviour in the borough. Community Safety Wardens are already working hard to make our communities safer, and it doesn’t make sense to take them away from this essential work.”
North East Lincolnshire ‘working towards resuming normal collections’
North East Lincolnshire council has announced it is “working towards resume normal collections for the area,” following discussions with the trade unions yesterday (9 August).
The council said that despite the absence of formal industrial action or an official dispute, operational challenges and staffing concerns persist within the waste service, leading to ongoing delays in waste collections across the borough.
The council stated that to ensure a consistent service, recycling crews are presently being reassigned to prioritise the punctual collection of household and garden waste.
The council suspended dry recycling collections on 31 July (see letsrecycle.com story) and while the council is not officially in a dispute, it is engaged in ongoing discussions with union representatives to address the staffing shortages causing the suspension of services.
Thames 21 finds cigarettes are the most prevalent item in UK waterways
Environmental charity, Thames21, has found that cigarettes are the most prevalent litter item in UK waterways.
This summer Thames21 held its annual “Plasticblitz” campaign which takes place over two weeks every summer, with environmental organisations, rotary clubs and Environment Agency personnel taking part.
The campaign aims to clean up and study plastic waste along England’s waterways.
This year the volunteers cleaned approximately 58 km of river, resulting in the collection of 699 bags brimming with discarded refuse.
They also identified that 71% of the waste identified during the campaign was comprised of plastic materials. Among the identified plastic debris found, cigarette ends emerged as the most prevalent item, which according to the United Nations “are the most discarded waste item worldwide.”
Chris Coode, chief executive of Thames21, said: “Since 2021, Thames21 has worked with Environment Agency teams, communities, and river action groups to remove plastic waste from the river Thames and its tributaries. Now all UK rivers can be included in this annual citizen science event, and we hope to see even more people participating next year.
“Water quality and the health of rivers must improve. As we keep on reiterating, plastic litter has no place in our rivers or the natural environment. So, it is great that the Plasticblitz has brought community groups together for the third time in the space of two years to raise awareness of the issue and help us gather vital evidence to push for change. Pollution is a widespread problem, and we must all act together to combat it.”
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