Rubbish safety fears for council staff

It sounds like a load of garbage, but Cork County Council has put a temporary ban on council workers picking up roadside rubbish after health and safety concerns were raised.

The workers in question staff the council’s two-man Rapid Response Litter Unit set up on a pilot basis last September to respond to calls from the public about small-scale illegal dumping.

Sharon Corcoran, the council’s environment director, said last night that “a question was raised” as to whether work like this should be classified in the same category as roadworks.