Refuse crews exposed to dangerously high pollution

Trade union GMB is calling on councils to avoid operating collection routes during busy traffic periods in order to mitigate refuse workers exposure to air pollution.

According to the unions monitoring of nitrogen dioxide at 110 sites across the UK, the national safe limit for the pollutant was exceeded at seven locations in London and nine locations around the rest of the UK between January and June this year.

As a result, GMB says councils must increase air pollution monitoring and do more to protect refuse and street cleaning workers. The union says the study shows workers are being exposed to high levels of air pollution, which can exacerbate or cause a range of lung and respiratory problems.

Safe levels

The European Union sets safe nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels at an average of 40ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre) in a year and Defra is currently facing EU court action over its failure to tackle high levels of the pollutant across the UK.

Presented at the GMB congress in Nottingham yesterday (June 8 2014), the results of the nitrogen dioxide study found that the EU limit was breached in the capital at Bloomsbury (51ug/m3), Camden (67), Haringey (43), Hillingdon (64), Tower Hamlets (58), Marylebone Road (82) and Westminster (42).

Outside London, the limit was exceeded at: Aberdeen Union Street (46); Bath (56); Cambridge (41); Chepstow A48 (43); Glasgow (70); Headingley in Leeds (45); Tyburn in Birmingham (45); Oxford city centre (49); and Scunthorpe Town (43). In addition, Manchester Piccadilly (39) and Leeds Centre (38) recorded levels of the pollutant very near to the safe limit.

The survey resultscome a month after the union raised concerns about refuse worker exposure to another air pollutant particulate matter (PM10) across the UK. GMB research found no areas to be in breach of EU limits for PM10, but it said that levels were still too high in many places and called for a ban on high polluting vehicles in city centres and improved public transport and cycling facilities.

Action

Speaking in Nottingham, John McClean GMB national health, safety and environment officer said: These figures on nitrogen dioxide confirm the urgent need for better air quality monitoring in urban and built up areas. Clean air should be a right, not a privilege.

And, he emphasisedthat road transport was a major cause of air pollution and that while emissions technology is improving, exposure levels are still dangerously high and action is needed now to tackle the problem.

Mr McClean added: Localised monitoring has shown some areas with extremely high levels of pollutants. So councils should do more monitoring to identify areas and times of day with high levels of pollutants. Doctors surgeries should have information on display making vulnerable people aware of these areas.

Contractors and councils should consider installing monitoring equipment on wagons and barrows. They should look at designing street cleaning and refuse collection routes to avoid the times in the areas with the highest levels of pollutants.