What does a Dustman do?

[Lee]

Transcribed as there was no online version.

REFUSE COLLECTORS FURY OVER WITHDRAWN TOILET BREAKS

“We were told we would have to go in our pants if we couldn’t wait…”

Refuse collectors from the London Borough of ********** have launched an angry attack on council officials and threatened strike action, after being told that they would not be able to return to their depot for toilet breaks during the first four hours of their shifts, and that they would not be permitted to ask householders for the use of their toilet facilities.

One of the refuse collectors, who asked for his name to be withheld, alleged that officials from the council had told the dustmen that if a situation arose where they couldn’t wait until they got back to the depot, they would have to ‘go in their pants’.

“It’s a disgrace. We are basically being told that we may have to wet ourselves whilst we are working. What other job would accept something like that. It’s just humiliating.”

A council official explained the situation from their perspective, “We have had refuse collectors returning to the depot for a toilet break, and bringing a whole crew back when it’s just one of them who has had an emergency toilet situation. It’s been hugely disruptive and meant that crews have either had to work beyond their contracted hours, or been unable to finish collecting household rubbish in some areas. We appreciate that, on occasions, emergency situations can arise, but in general, a shift of four hours is not unreasonable to ask staff to contain themselves.”

The official however, denied that collectors had been told to ‘go in their pants’ if they couldn’t wait, “I can categorically state that no refuse collectors have been told they would have to wet themselves if they were not able to wait for the toilet. If any one of our collectors was in a dire predicament and simply had to use a toilet, we would accept them returning to the depot, but only if it was an absolute emergency.

We don’t want our teams going into private properties to use a toilet because of the risk of carrying germs from the rubbish they have been handling. For a refuse collector to use a private toilet in a house, they would have to remove several items of clothing and we would be unhappy if that meant that a householder’s private bathroom ran the risk of contamination from dirty clothing.”

The official did admit, however, that he was aware of a couple of incidents of refuse collectors relieving themselves in discreet places when no public facilities were available.

“Soiling public areas is not acceptable, and our collectors are fully aware of that. We are working closely with our teams to ensure that they are able to carry out their duties in comfort.”

[Fred]

The term "dustman" is a delightfully British term!

The majority of trashmen (and it's almost entirely a male job) tend to be young, and I'm sure most of them can hold their bladders for four hours. But not all of them, and perhaps after too much breakfast coffee even more might need an urgent wee before their break. All jobs should allow for access to a toilet when necessary. Along city and suburban streets there aren't many public rest rooms, and places of business don't want those men tracking in bits of their refuse, so it is a dilemma. Of course I'd let them water my lilacs, but I'm part of a very small minority. Perhaps halfway along every route the municipality should have a portable toilet.

[Brian]

@Fred Yes, "dustmen" collect the "rubbish" there in Britain.
You'd be the ultimate friendly citizen, letting them water your lilacs.

What dreadful conditions these men have to work in. Well... four hours can be managed of course... until the day when it can't and one of the men can't hold it any longer. Fascinating article, Lee. Totally unacceptable employer behaviour of course.

[Lee]

I’d love to be a fly on the wall at the discussions between council officials and the representative of the dustmen!

I wonder if the argument revealed any ‘accident’ revelations?

The other fascinating aspect, is how any dustman returning to the depot would demonstrate that he was in a dire predicament?

[Sam70]

One solution would be to design the route so the crew would be as close as it is possible to be close to the depot.Then after two hours, there can be a policy to allow a “named” number of minutes for the break and with a penalty if the crew take more time than is needed for all to pee.

Planning the route with a break after two hours would take take less time than waiting to when one person needs to go right now.

Planned toilet breaks might follow a different schedule. Break after three hours, then a two hours with lunch break with a three hours left to complete an eight hour day might work well.

There is a big difference between three hours and four hours. Universities often have three hour exams. I have never heard of a four hour exam without a toilet break after two hours.

I have no doubt that it was suggested that those not able to hold it four hours would have to wet their pans and those that said it were not joking.. When the media investigated this, the top administration denied this. Of course they did.


If only the one worker who needs to pee urgently is allowed to go to the toilet, a second trip back to the depot might be needed. Then in an hour another person has to go to the toilet, There might be thre e trips back to the depot in the four hour morning shift.

A built in break after two hours would solve most situation where someone has to go right now.

The US has a regulation OSHA I think is the right acronym. Workers must have a toilet break after about two hours or there be toilets available as needed by the workers. ,Does the UK have any toilet rules for workers?

Fred is correct, most young lads can hold it for 4 hours. But not every day.. And a few lads can’t hold it for four hours.

Perhaps Fred and I could volunteer to be these young lads supervisors! We could make sure that the young lads were well hydrated!!!

[Fred]

Around here the trash is picked up by private contractors whose depot may be some distance away. Planning the route in 2-hour segments might not be very efficient. However, one possibility would be to require every municipality to designate one department facility, perhaps the public works (highway) or police department, to make their toilets available to the "dustmen". Even with this arrangement, however, I'm sure some contractors would find ways to discourage these stops.