FOI request (FOI207406)

Refuse and recycling incidents

Requested Thu 16 February 2017
Responded Thu 16 February 2017

1. For the years 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16, please can you disclose the total number of incidents involving residents recorded by the council related to the refuse collections service, recycling collection service and bulk waste collection service? For example, these may include but not be limited to reports of negative behaviour, aggressive or abusive behaviour, issues with bins including overfilling, lids not being shut, bins not placed on the property boundary, bins containing incorrect items and residents throwing bin bags directly into the lorries.

2. Please can you list each of these recorded incidents individually, and for each include:

-Which service it relates to (refuse, recycling or bulk waste)

-The nature of the issue (was it negative behaviour, aggressive behaviour, bin overfilling etc)

-A description of the incident and why the incident was recorded.

-Whether surveillance footage taken on the lorry relating to the incident was saved as evidence.

-Whether a still picture or still pictures taken on the lorry relating to the incident were saved as evidence.

-If footage or pictures were recorded, how this was captured (by an inbuilt CCTV system on the lorry, individual cameras held by staff etc)

-What action was taken as a result of the incident (for instance, a warning letter sent to the resident)

-Whether the resident was fined as a result and the value of the fine.

-Whether the incident was referred to the police.

-If known, what action was taken by the police.

-Whether staff received any follow up support after the incident.

-What kind of support staff received after the incident (for instance, some councils offer counselling after serious incidents with residents)

3. Do the council’s refuse, recycling and/or bulk waste vehicles have surveillance systems? If so, please include an explanation of the system, which vehicles have this and where the cameras are on the vehicles.

4. Does the council offer counselling to workers on the vehicles following incidents? If so, what is the nature of the support offered?

5. Do staff on the vehicles carry log books so they can record incidents with residents?

6. How frequently do residents in your council area have their recycling and general waste collected?

Response

Our contractors waste management system has been interrogated to provide the information you request in answer to questions 1. and 2.; and is provided in the format the system presents it in. Please see attached spreadsheets. This is all the information we hold on these matters. Please note: to comply with data protection  all names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses have been removed from the dataset.

The reports were run using the following parameters;

Date: From 01/04/2013 To 31/03/14; From 01/14/2014 To 31/03/2015; From 01/04/2015 To 31/03/2016

Status: Open, Complete, Not Completed, Cancelled

All Authorities: Eastbourne, Hastings, Rother and Wealden

Worksheet Type: Contractor Notification, Resident Complaint

Item: Abuse from staff, Anti-social behaviour, Bin/bag not returned to collection point, Damage to property, Health & safety, Loss of property, Personal Injury, Service comment, Service complaint, service compliment, Spillage, Damage to Vehicle.

Q1 - Please see above and attached

Q2 - Please see above and attached

Q3 - No

Q4 - No – waste services are provided under a contract with a private company.

Q5 - Crews have access to paper sheets or electronic slabs in the cabs.

Q6 - Eastbourne: Weekly refuse and fortnightly recycling, Hastings, Rother and Wealden: Alternate weekly collection of refuse and recycling.

Attachments

• FOI207406_FOI_207406_(1)_Copy_of_Daily_Mail_201415_data.xlsx
• FOI207406_FOI207406_(2)_Copy_of_Daily_Mail_201314_data.xlsx
• FOI207406_FOI207406_(3)_Copy_of_Daily_Mail_201516_data.xlsx