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Waste Management in Severe Weather Conditions
December 06, 2011After the second warmest November since records began in 1910 temperatures finally plummet across the country while the north and the midlands woke up carpeted in snow and frost. With the big freezer comes a series of issues that make our day to day a little more difficult specially for councils who have to make sure roads and streets are frost-free for commuters and waste management and collection can continue despite sever weather.
According to the “Winter Readiness Survey 2011/12” councils have stockpiled larger quantities of salt and have on average eight full sized gritters, and one mini gritter. Innovative measures will also be employed such as using GPS to manage gritting routes.
One of the biggest concerns during severe weather conditions is how to ensure waste collections are not interrupted specially with roads blocked with snow. Many councils have already developed plans to avoid a repeat performance of last year which saw several councils suspend their collections due to the snow.
Some counties even went a step further by taking part on the exercise “Cold Fury” which is the case of Stafford City Council. The exercise accesses different weather scenarios to determine how collection services could be maintained should severe weather conditions arise.
Waste management companies have also sent their clients waste collection schedules and plans for severe weather conditions such as the forecasted heavy snow fall to hit Britain in the coming weeks. MT Waste who provides waste management and recycling in Milton Keynes issued its clients a plan of action of for the cold season in November.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) there is no size fits all solution for waste collection routes as weather conditions can vary greatly from place to place.
A spokesman for the HSE said: “HSE suggests that at times of bad weather individual LAs and contractors who are involved in waste and recycling collections liaise regularly with the highway authority regarding prevailing road conditions, adopt a consistent approach to when collection can or cannot take place, and make every effort to keep the public informed of their decisions.”
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