Veolia and Sheffield targeting abuse with ‘Streetkind’ campaign

Collaboratively, the two entities are responsible for delivering recycling and waste collection services in the city of Sheffield.

The company says that “Regrettably, frontline staff encountered over 40 reported cases of abuse from the general public in 2022. While the majority of the public treats these frontline workers with respect and kindness, an alarming surge in physical and verbal abuse has compelled both the council and Veolia to initiate the ‘StreetKind’ campaign.”

According to Veolia the aim of this campaign is to bolster the safety and well-being of frontline teams by cultivating a more secure working environment by offering a comprehensive training program tailored to assist staff in defusing volatile situations, effectively handling incidents, and discerning when to involve law enforcement.

‘Determined ‘

Richard Hulland, Veolia’s chief risk & assurance officer for northern Europe said: “I talk to our people on a regular basis and they are passionate about their work and their teams. No one should be abused simply for doing their job and we’re determined to combat this unacceptable trend. That’s why I was delighted to see our StreetKind campaign win at this year’s Awards for Excellence.

“As well as appealing to the public to show their appreciation for our teams, our campaign focuses on training and support for our employees to respond to incidents. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our teams and will take the most serious action for the most serious attacks, including criminal prosecutions, in order to build a safer workplace environment for our colleagues.”

Campaign

As a part of the ‘StreetKind’ campaign, a series of videos employing authentic 360° CCTV footage from collection vehicles have been crafted to shed light on the abuse that frontline staff endure. In one scenario, a vehicle is observed mounting the pavement to bypass the workers while they are in the process of emptying bins, jeopardising the safety of both the staff and the public. In another incident, a member of the public can be seen physically assaulting a worker for not accepting additional waste.

Sheffield’s residents are encouraged to actively support the ‘StreetKind’ campaign online by using the hashtag #StreetKind and by displaying their appreciation for the frontline teams in person with a friendly smile and wave as they go about their duties.

The ‘StreetKind’ campaign will also concentrate on enhancing road safety and promoting safe behaviours around collection vehicles. According to Veolia many of the reported incident’s stem from impatient drivers who fail to permit workers to carry out their duties safely.