Refuse workers in Glasgow worried about accidentally touching needles on shift

Workers collecting waste in Glasgow are telling us they are concerned about contracting a viral infection while on shift from touching used needles.

A team gathering rubbish from Ibrox Square at the weekend claims they found a total of 12 discarded syringes in the space of a few minutes.

Eddie McCulloch's role is to take waste from the streets and told Clyde 1: "This happens every day and some of the staff do not want to report what they find.

"They don't want to be seen to be rocking the apple cart.

"There are lots of different hazards we have to deal with like rats running around in the pitch black."

The city council says it is not the responsibility of workers to pick up needles with their hands.

However, Kevin McCormack claims two of his colleagues accidentally touched old syringes while on shift before Christmas.

He said: "We should have specialised training to deal with these kind of situations or an extra hazard payment."

Chris Mitchell from GMB Scotland said: "We are the first line of defence when it comes to hazards on the ground and in the streets.

"Our members could accidentally touch a syringe in the dark while working early in the morning or late at night because their vision is restricted.

"I really urge people to be mindful where they are leaving needles."

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “We can confirm that two members unfortunately suffered needle stick injuries in the course of their duties last month.

“Thankfully these incidents are very rare with three incidents in total recorded in the past year.

“In both instances the needles had been disposed of inappropriately in back courts by residents and our staff members received appropriate medical care.

“Health and safety procedures are in place to protect staff from the risk of needle stick injuries and training on how to handle waste safely is provided with staff also equipped with appropriate PPE.

“If staff encounter discarded needles in private areas such as back courts they should be reported to a supervisor so the factor or owners can take the necessary action.

“Staff who identify needles in public spaces should also contact their supervisor so that our specialist team can remove these items safely.

“Householders should always ensure needles are correctly disposed of within a sharp box.”

Hear the latest news on Clyde 1 on FM, DAB, smart speaker or the Rayo app.