organising a clean up

Transcription

1 organising a clean up

2 contents page PLANNING AHEAD 3 Risk assessment 4 Getting help 4 THE CLEAN UP CREW 5 Community involvement EQUIPMENT AND PREPARATION 7 Protective gear and equipment 8 Preparations 8 INFORMING, INSTRUCTING 9 AND ORGANISING PUBLICITY 10 News Release 11 SPONSORSHIP AND FUNDING 13 BE CONSIDERATE 15 AVOIDING DANGER IS ALL IMPORTANT 17 Hazardous waste 17 Natural dangers 17 Take particular care of children 17 Other dangers 18 Insurance Cover 18 The Result 18 Litter and recycling 18 The following guidance should help you get the most out of your clean up event. Please read it carefully taking particular note of the safety advice.

3 Decide where you would like to do your litter pick. You could clean up and enhance a local landmark, or take action on a well known grot spot'. Always get permission from the landowner for your activities. If you wish to litter pick on council owned land, you will have to ask permission well in advance of your event Planning ahead as the process for approval may take some time. At an early stage, decide on the arrangements for removal of the waste at the end of your event. Usually your council will help by collecting the rubbish or providing a skip. If you are removing it yourself, ensure you are able to dispose of it at your local civic amenity site (i.e. the council tip'). If a commercial waste company is collecting the waste or delivering a skip, they will make a charge and want to know what the waste comprises. How will you carry out your clean up? It could be a straightforward litter pick or you could have a theme or set a challenge. Think of ways to make your event as much fun as possible. Should refreshments be provided? As a rallying point for the event, choose a well known spot which will be familiar to everyone. Planning ahead 3

4 Risk assessment Having chosen a place for your clean up, visit the site and carry out a full risk assessment. This is a careful examination of the possible risks that could cause harm to you or your volunteers. When assessing the risks, look for the following hazards: Unidentified cans or canisters, oil drums, poisons, insecticides, clinical waste, other hazardous substances, broken glass, condoms, syringes, etc. Deep or fast flowing water, currents or tides, steep, slippery or unstable banks, sharp rocks, mud holes, derelict buildings, busy roads, electric fences (which are identified by yellow warning signs) etc. If the area carries too many risks for you and your group, choose somewhere else. Getting help The Cleansing or Environmental Health Department of your local council should be able to offer support by providing litter picking gadgets, refuse sacks, gloves and they may provide a skip at your event. If making your own arrangements to get the litter you've collected off site, take their advice on where to legally dispose of the waste. Target local companies who may be able to support your clean up by providing materials, services or a donation. For example, fast food restaurants may be able to supply refreshments and supermarkets might donate bin bags.

5 You may already be part of a group wishing to do a clean up. If so, involve them at the planning stage and make it a real team effort. The clean up crew If you plan a large scale clean up perhaps you could drum up support from other groups in your area: schools, Scouts and Guide Groups, Civic Society, the Round Table, Rotary Clubs, Tenants' Association and environmental groups are just a few of the many who could be interested in making an impact on their local environment. Community involvement If you want to involve a wide range of volunteers from different sectors of the community in your clean up: Approach local residents either by leafleting, calling at homes, or through a residents' group. Put up posters in local shops and supermarkets, in libraries, community and leisure centres, Citizens Advice Bureaux, schools and on church notice boards. Send out a press release to your local media calling for volunteers well in advance of your event with details of whom to contact and how people can get involved. Contact your local council to see if they have a volunteer bureau or speak to your local Community Volunteer Service who can help find volunteers and offer advice. The clean up crew 5

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7 Equipment and preparation The following arrangements will have to be made and equipment organised prior to your clean up. You will need a supply of rubbish sacks and string or sticky tape to seal them. But other clean up equipment will come in useful, depending on the nature, type and size of your event and the resources available to you. Your local council will be able to help you with some of the following: As well as refuse sacks, clean up equipment could include litter pickers, gloves (waterproof or heavy duty), wheelbarrows, rakes and shovels. Broken glass, sharp metal, etc. will break through refuse sacks and may cause injury. Have safe containers for their collection if you are removing this type of litter. For any scale of clean up event, have a first aid kit and antibacterial wipes (remember to let your volunteers know who is the first-aider). For a large scale event you could contact your local ambulance service or voluntary first aid organisations such as the Red Cross or St John Ambulance for advice. They may even be able to provide cover and assistance. If you are likely to come across hypodermic needles or drugs-related litter, have a contact number for the council who will organise a rapid response service for their removal. Do not touch these yourselves. A skip or other means of efficient removal of collected rubbish after your event is useful. If supervisors need to stay in touch, mobile phones or walkie-talkies will be required. Arrange specialist help such as the council, police, fire brigade, armed forces or a professional company if clearing abandoned cars or heavy objects. Equipment and preparation 7

8 Protective gear and equipment Make a list of useful equipment and work out who will provide what. Check if any volunteers can provide their own equipment. Your local council may also be able to help or advise on obtaining protective wear or equipment. If you wish to purchase equipment, sturdy litter pickers and protective gloves can be obtained from the Helping Hand Company. To obtain further information please contact The Helping Hand Company on or by fax on Preparations As organiser, you will have visited the site and done a risk assessment before the event. It may be helpful to make a sketch map of the area to be tackled. Note where the skip or litter collection points should be. If you are expecting a large number of people, you may also want to identify a lost and found' point and a first-aid point. Mark on the map the location of any toilets, the nearest public phone and any other useful amenities such as cycle or car parks, bus stops or train station. You might also note places where you could shelter from the rain if the weather turns against you. This map can then be used on the day to show different groups where they should be working, the set up for the day and the facilities available.

9 All volunteers will need to be informed and instructed prior to the event. Depending on the nature, size and type of event, this may include: Informing, instructing and organising Health and safety risks (these will be determined by the risk assessment carried out and the risks identified). Precautions to avoid these risks and how to protect against them. How to use any equipment provided. The agreed area or route and event procedures. Where and what time to meet and finishing time. Advise volunteers in advance to dress for the occasion. Strong, comfortable boots or shoes will be needed; perhaps also warm, waterproof clothing and headgear. Gloves are essential if litter picking by hand. Fluorescent arm bands or clothing should be worn if working in poor light or anywhere near traffic. Location of toilet facilities and refreshments (depending on the length of your event). First aid arrangements. The location of the nearest telephone or access to a mobile phone. Informing, instructing and organising 9

10 Publicity Clean ups can be excellent community events and great local stories. Let your local media know what you are doing and you may attract publicity and get recognition for your efforts. Tips for Targeting the Media Contact the news desk of your local newspaper, radio or television station to inform them of your event - you can get the contact number from Yellow Pages or Directory Enquiries. Let them know at least one week before the event so that they can put the date in their diary. It's a good idea to contact them the day before to remind them of your event. The date and timing of your event has to suit you and your volunteers but, if possible, organise your event at a convenient time for the media. Photo calls in the morning are preferable so deadlines can be met for evening newspapers or broadcasts. Provide the media with an interesting angle to ensure your story is covered. Make sure you let the media know: Who is taking part. When your activity is taking place. Where you are cleaning up. Why you chose that particular location. What is interesting, unusual or unique about your event. How you are going to do your clean up. Don't be disheartened if the media do not cover your story. On the day, other news stories may take precedence over yours. Just make sure your volunteers have as much fun as possible - regard the media coverage as a bonus.

11 Here is a sample News Release to get you started. Try to keep your release to two pages or less and always allow extra spacing between the lines (this is a common layout of a news release). NEWS RELEASE KEEP IT CLEAN - URGE (NAME OF AREA) GROUP For immediate release A group of residents from (name of area) have had enough of rubbish. They are tired of the tide of litter that is bringing down the reputation of our town and are sick of paying through the nose to get other people's junk cleaned up. And just to prove how much they loathe litter, the (name of group and where they are based) are going to go out into the streets next (date) and get their hands dirty picking up junk. By their actions they are to show the rest of the community how big a problem litter is - and to encourage them to start disposing of it properly. Figures released by the UK's biggest anti-litter campaign, Keep Britain Tidy, have revealed: That council taxpayers in the UK fork out 408 million a year to clean the streets. That around a third of all fires are caused by accumulations of litter. That thanks to the growing presence of dropped food, the UK rat population now stands at a staggering sixty million. That littered streets can severely damage business and tourism opportunities. Like everywhere else in the UK, (the name of area) has its fair share of litter problems. But thanks to the (name of group) they at least have people young and old, prepared to do something about it. The (name of group) will begin to tackle rubbish at (location) on (time and date). They are hoping that as many volunteers as possible will come and join them and that the rest of the community gets the message that dropping litter is simply not on. (Name of spokesperson from group) said: This clean up will show others that we care about the future of our local environment and that we are not prepared to live, work and play in an area that is blighted by rubbish. What is good about working together like this, is it creates a sense of community and for some of our younger volunteers it is their first taste of active citizenship." *The (name of group) clean up takes place at: Location Date Time You are invited to send a photographer/reporter to this event. For further information Please contact (name of spokesperson) on (phone number/mobile). - Ends - Publicity 11

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13 This largely depends on the type of event that you have in mind and whether you Sponsorship and funding wish to continue your environmental work after your clean up. You could approach local companies to help provide the necessary equipment for your event, or to sponsor a litter bin (perhaps with their name on it). You will need to contact your local council for help to install and service a litter bin in a public place. Fundraising events could be organised e.g. aluminium can collection, car boot sales, environmental fair, auction or a jumble sale, to raise funds for future events. Your local council may have a small grants scheme for environmental projects. Sponsorship and funding 13

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15 If you are working in the country, parks, woodland or open spaces avoid disturbing animals or damaging plants. Keep gates closed and don't clean up natural rubbish' such as logs, stones and weeds. They may look untidy but they are home to animals and birds. Before your clean up, get some advice from an expert; your local council may be Be considerate able to give you a contact name, phone for details of your local branch of the Wildlife Trust or visit the website Make sure that your activities don't interfere with people in the vicinity who are not involved in the litter pick. In particular, tell volunteers not to go on other people's property. Be considerate 15

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17 Line pins and tape can be used to section off any potentially dangerous areas. For a large operation, a loud hailer could be useful to warn participants to stay within the designated area. Take particular care of children and don't attempt too much. Avoiding danger is all important Hazardous waste Make sure everyone is aware of potentially dangerous items which they should not pick up. If nasty or dangerous pieces of litter such as unidentified drums, cans or canisters of chemicals, poisons or insecticides, or if syringes are spotted at any stage during your litter pick, do not attempt to move them yourself. Make a note of their location and inform your local council. Natural dangers Avoid holding your litter pick near potentially dangerous places such as steep or slippery banks, fast flowing water or derelict buildings. Consider the ages of the children involved in your clean up and make sure that a sufficient number of adults are present to supervise. In the case of young children we advise no more than four children to one adult. Before your clean up, make sure children understand which items are potentially dangerous and should not be picked up. Warn them not to pick up any items that they are the least bit unsure about. But also be aware that very young children may not heed your warnings. Don't let children attempt to pick up heavy or bulky items. Ensure that they have adult help for any weightier tasks. If you are working anywhere near roadways, canals, rivers or ponds, make sure that there are responsible people appointed specifically to keep an eye on safety. Don't allow children near such areas. With children do no more than a one hour stint. If only adults are involved, attempt only what is within everyone's capacity and allow for rest breaks. Two to three hours of litter picking is usually enough unless you're extremely dedicated. Avoiding danger is all important 17

18 Other dangers Giant Hogweed is an injurious weed' and can cause harm to people and animals. Great care should be taken when working near this weed and it should not be touched at any time. Seek immediate medical advice if skin comes into contact with the weed and irritation, rashes or blistering occurs. Weil's Disease (Leptospirosis) is a very rare infection carried in rats urine and can be fatal. The symptoms include high temperature, severe headaches, flu-like illness or muscle pains. They will appear three to 19 days after exposure to contaminated water. It must be treated early. If you discover flytipping, see someone flytipping or come across dumped or hazardous waste report it to the Environment Agency (England and Wales) on their 24hr Hotline Tel For Scotland, contact the Scottish Environment Protection Agency Tel If you are in Northern Ireland please report it to the local council. INSURANCE COVER Obtaining Public Liability Insurance is very important and not very expensive. This will provide cover for your legal liability arising from accidental damage or injury that occurs during the event, including damage or injury to a member of the public or their property. If you represent an organisation such as a local council or school it is possible that you already have insurance in place, but it is important to check that litter picks/activity is covered under such insurance. If not, a suitable extension should be made to the policy. If you are unable to obtain public liability insurance for your event please contact BTCV on THE RESULT Note the amount of rubbish collected. You can do this by weight, sack or skip load. Make a note of any unusual items found. You could also record your progress by taking before, during and after photographs of your clean up. These facts and photographs can be used to record and report back on your event. RECYCLING It's good practice to recycle the litter you've collected, if at all possible. Contact the Recycling Officer at your local council for advice on whether certain materials should be collected separately, where they should be taken or how they should be disposed. For general information on recycling contact: Waste Watch, the national organisation that promotes recycling. Tel Visit the website

19 Central Office for English Regions Environmental Campaigns trading as ENCAMS Elizabeth House The Pier Wigan WN3 4EX T: (01942) F: (01942) E: Keep Scotland Tidy Islay House Livilands Lane Stirling FK8 2BG T: (01786) F: (01786) E: Tidy Northern Ireland 1st Floor Studio A 89 Holywood Road Belfast BT4 3BD T: (02890) F: (02890) E: tni@encams.org Keep Wales Tidy 33/35 Cathedral Road Cardiff CF11 9HB T: (02920) F: (02920) E: south@keepwalestidy.org ENCAMS runs the Keep Britain Tidy campaign. Addresses 19

20 Supported by Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), The Scottish Executive, The National Assembly for Wales and the Environment and Heritage Service (Northern Ireland) Printed on Revive Silk, made from 75% recycled fibres. ENC198/11/03