The Isle of Wight Council is reminding residents and visitors about the dangers of putting hot disposable barbecues and used coals in with their rubbish.
Binning hot barbecues puts refuse workers and the general public at risk while putting more pressure on emergency services.
The above photo shows what can happen when people fail to extinguish a barbecue before putting it in the bin. As previously reported by Island Echo, a refuse lorry had to be emptied onto the road over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend after a barbecue started a fire.
Amey, the council’s waste contractor, has seen a number of dangerous incidents involving fires in collection vehicles and at its recycling centre on Forest Road. The sources of these fires are discarded uncooled barbecues, batteries and aerosols.
Natasha Dix, the council’s strategic manager for waste and environment, has said:
“It’s essential that people ensure barbecues are extinguished before disposing of these to prevent fire.
“These fires can often have enormous consequences, damaging collection vehicles, and risking the lives of our refuse workers.”
To avoid accidental fires, drench ashes with water or let them cool completely for at least 48 hours.
Never put hot ash or part-burned materials from domestic or garden fires or barbecues or put used portable barbecues in the bin before they are completely cooled.
The household waste and recycling collection will continue as normal over the Bank Holiday weekend, with collections as usual on Monday 2nd May. The bulky waste and free re-use collection service is still available over this period also.
The Household Waste and Recycling Centres at Lynnbottom and Afton Marsh will also be operating normal hours but you must book your visit to the HWRCS online beforehand – a rule brought in during the pandemic but has been retained.
Tell you what NATASHA DIX, instead of this incessant ‘advising’ the Public – aka the Council Tax Payer, who pay YOUR exorbitant salary of 60K Plus a year salary.
Why don’t you actually do some work!
Get the the bins OFF the Highway and the Pavements which have been REPEATEDLY reported to your Grossly Inefficient Department, and yet…
You STILL do Nothing about!!?
well said Nick – some pavements are completely blocked and you must walk into the road to get past. She should get off her backside and get these pavements cleared
Agree Nick. But she probably thinks 60k pa is below average for her type of job. Also, struggling to understand, how a hot bbq didn’t set fire to the bin before it went in the dustcart.
To get back to the subject in hand.
the sooner these fire hazards are banned the better.
Having had direct contact with Natasha Dix I totally can confirm she IS the most useless tool in the toolbox