Brighton man sleeping in bin narrowly escapes death (From The Argus)
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Brighton man sleeping in bin narrowly escapes death
10:30pm Friday 15th May 2009 in News By Andy Chiles
Council will use stickers to deter rough sleepers
A homeless man sleeping in a bin narrowly escaped death after he was nearly dropped into a waste truck’s crusher.
Union leaders have now said urgent action is needed to save its members from potentially killing someone.
Officials from the GMB union, which represents all of Brighton and Hove’s binmen demanded that each vehicle sent out to empty communal bins should have an additional member of staff specifically to check bins before they are emptied.
Mark Turner, GMB branch secretary for Brighton and Hove, said: "It will not cost much but it needs to be done. We are talking about saving lives here."
The move follows an incident where a homeless man was sleeping in one of the communal bins which are being rolled out across the city.
The collection truck, crewed by just the driver, pulled up alongside the bin on Brighton beach and used the CCTV system in its cab to line it up and engage its automatic emptying mechanism.
The bin was hoisted into the air above the vehicle and was about to be emptied into the compactor below when the driver heard terrified screams.
He stopped the mechanism and discovered the man inside the bin, inches away from being tipped into the truck.
Mr Turner said: "This could have a been a very nasty incident, that man could easily have been killed and the driver would have that on his conscience, for no real fault of his own."
He said it would only cost the Brighton and Hove City Council's Cityclean refuse service £32,000 a year to employ two workers to travel with the two communal bin collection vehicles.
His call was backed by councillors, who also raised concerns that the city was in a position where the homeless were resorting to sleeping in bins.
Brighton and Hove City Councillor Paul Elgood said: "Those trucks are potentially lethal. It's a lot for one driver to take responsibility for."
He said having an extra worker would help to address other problems with the bins.
Coun Elgood said: "A second person would be able to clear the items dumped around the bins and close the lids."
Councillor Warren Morgan added: "The council must ensure that crew levels are sufficient to ensure the health and safety of both their staff and the public."
The beach incident this week followed another in Queen's Place, Brighton, in February, where a homeless man sleeping in a shop bin and was tipped into a dustcart operated by commercial waste group Veolia Environmental Services.
The crew realised the man was inside as they emptied the rubbish and hit an emergency stop button to stop him from being crushed.
Brighton and Hove City Councillor Jason Kitcat said: "It is a sad state of our society that people have to resort to sleeping in bins. I would guess they wanted somewhere, anywhere, to shelter from bad weather.
"I suspect it's unlikely extra operatives will be sent out as the whole point of the communal bins was cutting costs but there are lots of issues where if there was a second operative they could do the job better.
"They've probably spent as much money sending out unnecessary leaflets."
The council said it was working with its homelessness team to raise awareness of the dangers of sleeping in communal bins.
A spokeswoman said: "The council is issuing warning stickers to deter rough sleepers from getting inside.
“To employ more people simply to inspect communal bins would not be practical or cost effective. We would not want to put that kind of responsibility onto our staff as someone inside the bin may not be seen even if the bin is checked as they may be covered up by bags or other material."
A spokesman for homeless charity Crisis said: "It is a scandal that people are still having to resort to sleeping rough in such atrocious conditions in the twenty first century."
Comments(34)
TheInsider
says...
11:37pm Fri 15 May 09
Is Mark Turner a real person?
If so he is clearly deranged.
Get the fat bloke who sits at the wheel of the refuse truck hardly moving an inch all day with a big belly squeezed under the steering wheel to get out and take a look.
Guerrero
says...
11:50pm Fri 15 May 09
How times change.Only three short years ago this would have been a des res close to all ameneties with a sea view and selling for 120 grand.
Rocker
says...
1:48am Sat 16 May 09
Let the driver do the check,if thats what needs to be done.But creating a job???
Lunarcy!
Old Ale Man
says...
7:06am Sat 16 May 09
jonathon
says...
7:12am Sat 16 May 09
In regard to homelessness,if these do-gooders stopped helping them by giving them money etc, they would soon find a job and then a home. The Argus was heavy involved in the case of the homeless couple who lived in a graveyard. The Council have now housed them, but they are still on Western Road selling the Big Issue, smoking and having a Special Brew. Why don't they get a job. In the Argus is week there were 400 jobs advertised, almost half were for unskilled workers. People will stay on the streets if we keep giving them money to smoke and drink.
Variable
says...
8:49am Sat 16 May 09
And putting warning notices on bins won't have much success because many homeless people cannot read.
Osama bin there
says...
9:23am Sat 16 May 09
jonathon wrote:You are absolutely right, Jonathon, in everything you say.
Thia could only happen in Brighton and Hove.Let the driver check the bins.
In regard to homelessness,if these do-gooders stopped helping them by giving them money etc, they would soon find a job and then a home. The Argus was heavy involved in the case of the homeless couple who lived in a graveyard. The Council have now housed them, but they are still on Western Road selling the Big Issue, smoking and having a Special Brew. Why don't they get a job. In the Argus is week there were 400 jobs advertised, almost half were for unskilled workers. People will stay on the streets if we keep giving them money to smoke and drink.
I wish people would stop buying the Big Issue, stop giving beggars money, and then maybe they would leave, or better still, realise that there's no such thing as a free lunch - and get a job!!
There's plenty of unskilled work available.
But no, they would rather spend the little money they have on special brew and ciggies, and then sit around all day begging.
vince m
says...
9:27am Sat 16 May 09
davyboy
says...
9:37am Sat 16 May 09
Jim BB
says...
9:56am Sat 16 May 09
rabmck
says...
10:47am Sat 16 May 09
tezzboy
says...
11:08am Sat 16 May 09
maxiboy
says...
11:26am Sat 16 May 09
Conor
says...
11:59am Sat 16 May 09
Did he oversleep?
The cheapest solution might to give all dossers a free alarm clock.
Shabba Wanks
says...
12:18pm Sat 16 May 09
Wahyey!!
getreall
says...
12:59pm Sat 16 May 09
tezzboy
says...
1:25pm Sat 16 May 09
Granny
says...
1:44pm Sat 16 May 09
Lil
says...
6:53pm Sat 16 May 09
Waft the BigMac over the top of the bin (perhaps attach it to a stick so it can be attached to the refuse truck) and if someone's inside and hungry, they'll soon announce their presence inside the big bin.
S.T. Rewth
says...
6:56pm Sat 16 May 09
A bin being emptied in Brighton, who is goig to believe that?
Guerrero
says...
9:00pm Sat 16 May 09
maxiboy wrote:Soylent Green was people????
It reminds me of a 70's movie called "Soylent Green". That would be a good solution for the drifters in Brighton & Hove-turn them into crackers with the value brand on them.
LOL.
ArthurD
says...
9:07am Sun 17 May 09
Txa
says...
9:33am Sun 17 May 09
unconscious. Remember pets are being thrown in as well. Why the track has to crush the rubbish, when it has to go to the waste shorting facility, that it makes the work much more difficult.??
mruno
says...
10:18am Sun 17 May 09
Human Machine
says...
12:45pm Sun 17 May 09
Billyboyarnold
says...
3:05pm Sun 17 May 09
disgruntledHove
says...
5:28pm Sun 17 May 09
PB
says...
10:48am Mon 18 May 09
jonathon wrote:A job as driver's assistant, checking the bins?
Thia could only happen in Brighton and Hove.Let the driver check the bins. In regard to homelessness,if these do-gooders stopped helping them by giving them money etc, they would soon find a job and then a home. The Argus was heavy involved in the case of the homeless couple who lived in a graveyard. The Council have now housed them, but they are still on Western Road selling the Big Issue, smoking and having a Special Brew. Why don't they get a job. In the Argus is week there were 400 jobs advertised, almost half were for unskilled workers. People will stay on the streets if we keep giving them money to smoke and drink.
thesnowbrigade
says...
2:46pm Mon 18 May 09
jonathon wrote:I know I should be used to the stupid comments on this website by now, but the ignorance of the comments on here astounds me. All these 'why don't they get a job' comments. Do you know what a vicious cycle they are trapped in? Do you know that you can't get a job unless you have a fixed address? So how are they supposed to get a job if they don't have an address? And to get an address you need to have a job. Do you see what such a vicious cycle they are in? Do you think these people would CHOOSE to live in bins rather than have a house and a job?
Thia could only happen in Brighton and Hove.Let the driver check the bins. In regard to homelessness,if these do-gooders stopped helping them by giving them money etc, they would soon find a job and then a home. The Argus was heavy involved in the case of the homeless couple who lived in a graveyard. The Council have now housed them, but they are still on Western Road selling the Big Issue, smoking and having a Special Brew. Why don't they get a job. In the Argus is week there were 400 jobs advertised, almost half were for unskilled workers. People will stay on the streets if we keep giving them money to smoke and drink.
How do you think people end up on the streets? You think they suddenly wake up one day and think 'had enough of this comfy house, think I'd much rather sleep in doorways and get spat on and attacked'. Many homeless people have come from care homes, have mental health issues, have been child runaways, have been abused, etc etc.
Have some compassion for your fellow man.
Or else pray that you never get in that situation yourself, and see what it's like having to be faced with ignoramus's like you all day.
chris elmes
says...
12:27am Tue 19 May 09
No home address=no job=no money=no rent=no home.
SIMPLES
security word work-team (no I'm not joking)
Keith Burton
says...
12:25pm Tue 19 May 09
How about we try and get them off the streets, rather than just stopping them from sleeping in bins, hmmmm?
lastgasp
says...
9:29am Wed 20 May 09
BN3
says...
7:18pm Thu 21 May 09
bibble says...
11:18pm Fri 15 May 09