As part of the campaign to tidy up the Easton and Lawrence Hill areas of Bristol, we residents are attempting to ensure that we can use all the council services for which we pay through our taxes.
These include such things as recycling collections on Stapleton Road and the provision of adequate recycling facilities in the inner city’s council-owned tower blocks (posts passim).
Another bone of contention was the fact that Bristol City Council’s Day’s Road ‘recycling centre’ (better known to locals as ‘the tip’. Ed.) appeared to be off limits to callers on foot. The Kier/May Gurney staff that run the facility for the council had even gone so far as to place a sign at the entrance stating no callers on foot. Furthermore, I’d heard anecdotally that the reason for this prohibition was down to that favourite old ‘excuse’ – health and safety.
In order to find out, the Freedom of Information request below was duly sent to the city council.
Dear Bristol City Council,
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
I have been informed that callers on foot are not allowed to use the facilities at Day’s Road due to “health and safety“.
I would be grateful if you could provide a copy of the relevant risk assessment.
Yours faithfully,
Steve Woods
That’s right, if “health and safety” was the reason, show us the risk assessment.
The relevant risk assessment has now been received in answer to the FoI request.
Curiously enough, non-motorised callers are allowed, as the following extract shows.
Non-motorised customers should be advised to approach from east (SOFA project side) avoiding both queue & need to cross traffic stream.
Choose a quieter time (weekdays, mid-morning) by arrangement with site staff.
ACCESS MUST BE PRE-ARRANGED WITH SITE STAFF.
Site users should be advised to make themselves visible, i.e. visibility clothing or markers, & lights in poor conditions.
The assessment also contains the following advice to pedestrians:
Customers should avoid unnecessarily crossing the traffic stream & exercise extreme caution when leaving site.
I shall therefore be digging out my Dayglo clothing and wheelbarrow and getting on the phone! 😉
Download the city council’s response in proprietary MS Office format (isn’t it disappointing that the city council thinks everyone uses MS Office? Ed.).