Barnet refuse workers have narrow escape following explosion on collection vehicle

Footage: Barnet Council

A crew of Barnet refuse workers had a narrow escape recently, as shocking film footage has emerged of a huge explosion as a bin is loaded into a refuse truck.

The explosion was caused by combustible items such gas canisters or bottles, batteries or aerosols being wrongly placed into a residential bin, which when crushed by the lorry’s impactor caused the bin, and other debris to be fired out into the street.

Commenting on the video, Cllr Alan Schneiderman, Barnet Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change said: “The video is incredibly shocking, and we’re relieved that the crew members escaped unharmed.

“I hope this helps people to understand how important it is to properly recycle items such as gas canisters and bottles, batteries and aerosols, as on another day we might not have been so lucky.”

This incident follows one earlier this year where a set of lithium batteries caught light and burned a hole in the side of a bin lorry.

Combustible waste should never be placed in waste bins, and in Barnet as with many local authorities, they can be recycled at the local recycling centre. Otherwise, they can usually be reused and refilled or returned to the seller for future use.

To find out where to recycle these kinds of items you can check on recyclenow’s website: https://www.recyclenow.com/

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