Binmen face catalogue of abuse, racism and threats of violence

A Freedom of Information request revealed that householders had been aggressive towards drivers and loaders in the Sandwell borough – and had even used cars to block in refuse lorries in the street.

The figures also showed that abuse often took place after residents’ bins were not emptied because they contained hazardous waste or bulky items which have to be disposed of separately.

Sandwell Council said that last year they had logged 29 incidents where staff were verbally attacked and confronted by members of the public.

The list shows staff suffer road rage from impatient motorists who are forced to wait as refuse vehicles frequently stop to collect bins.

In one case, a car swerved towards a council worker as the driver shouted abuse at the shocked binman.

Another refuse collector reported that a motorist threatened to knock him out.

But the majority of incidents related to householders threatening and swearing at workers.

A refuse vehicle loader had to step in and prevent a resident grabbing his colleague by the throat.

One householder also blocked a refuse vehicle in with his car so the bin men could not go onto his property to collect a bin.

Other incidents included a council driver who was racially abused because he asked a dog owner to keep his pet under control while the refuse vehicle reversed into a street.

In May last year, Sandwell Council, along with its waste partner Serco, introduced a tough zero tolerance approach to verbal and physical assaults on employees.

They warned that they would immediately report any incidence of violence and aggression against employees to police.

Sandwell Council has said it will do all it can to protect its staff abuse.

Councillor Maria Crompton, the authority’s cabinet member for safer communities, said: “Over the past year we have had a number of incidents relating to abuse/threatening behaviour towards staff which were reported to the police. One case resulted in prosecution.

“Sandwell Council along with it’s waste partner Serco have zero tolerance policy which aims to reduce the increasing number of employees being verbally or physically assaulted by members of the public.

“The safety and wellbeing of staff whilst carrying out their daily duties is paramount, and we shall continue to take all measures possible to protect them from any form of abuse.”

Elsewhere in the Black Country, a Walsall man was jailed for more than two years in 2017 after he stabbed a binman with a bayonet.

It happened after he lost his temper because his recycling had not been collected.

While, it was reported last year that nationally refuse workers face 1,000 instances of dangerous driving every day, according to a study.

The GMB union had said that at least 12 workers died in the waste sector during 2017 from road accidents and other incidents – up from eight the year before.

Around 360,000 incidents of dangerous or reckless driving are reported by refuse workers every year across Britain, said the union.

Speaking in 2018, GMB general secretary Tim Roache said: “We all rely on refuse collections to keep our cities, towns and villages clean and safe, but refuse workers are literally risking their lives coming into work each day.

“It is an incredibly tough job, but, despite the graft they put in, they refuse workers have seen their pay plummet in real terms since 2011.”