Refuse collector hospitalised after becoming 'tangled' in bungee cord attached to domestic waste bin
It's led to a warning being issued by the local authority...
Last updated 1st Jun 2025
A council worker has been hospitalised following an incident with a bin lorry in the Scottish Borders.
The local authority has revealed the employee was "lifted into the air" by the vehicle's bin-lifting mechanism before dropping to the ground, after becoming tangled in a bungee cord which was attached to a domestic waste bin.
It happened during its scheduled rounds in the Blainslie area this morning (Friday).
Due to the seriousness of the incident, council chiefs say they are suspending the use of automatic lifting mechanisms on all its waste collection vehicles while a review is carried out, to ensure the safety of staff.
However, the local authority warns the extra time needed to complete the task manually is likely to lead to delays - and more missed collections.
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Over the last year the public has expressed frustration at the increasing failure of the local authority to pick up their refuse.
Matters came to a head in October last year when 12 routes were cancelled, impacting more than 10,000 households.
The main reasons given for the missed collections were staff shortages, issues with the lorries and vehicles reaching capacity or running out of time.
But members of the full council were told last month of a series of actions being taken to address the concerns.
These included increasing the number of staff by six at a cost of £220,000 each year.
There has also been significant investment of £2.6m in the council’s refuse collection fleet over the last two years, with a further six vehicles scheduled to be replaced in 2025/26.
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A council spokesperson said: "We would like to stress to householders the seriousness of this issue and the importance of not using bungee cords or any other type of restraint on their wheelie bin which may put the health and safety of SBC staff in danger."
It's not the first incident involving a bin lorry in the Borders. Last year, an 11-year-old girl died after being hit by a truck while waiting for a bus to school in East Gordon.
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