Having been Carbon Neutral since 2011 and OHSAS 18001 accredited , B&M Waste Services are further increasing their commitment to minimising environmental impact and ensuring the safety of the public, through the renewal of their fleet with Euro 6 engine, low entry and cyclist safety cab vehicles.
The recycling and waste management company, who operate a zero waste to landfill policy, by increasing recycling across UK businesses, take their health safety commitment extremely seriously.
Graham Curtis, Director at B&M Waste said “We realise that being out amongst the public with such large vehicles poses a risk to the public. We implement ongoing training of all our drivers and operators, and to further reduce the risk of accidents are proud to have purchased these new vehicles. The new Dennis Eagle Elite 6 vehicles have a panoramic cab which offers unparalleled standard of direct driver visibility. This improved visibility therefore reduces risk of injury to cyclists and other road users. Additionally we have installed blind spot and reversing cameras – so our drivers can see what’s around all four sides of the vehicle whilst driving. We’ve installed reversing alarms too, and side run bars between the front and back wheels – which reduce the likelihood of a cyclist being dragged under the wheels”
ROSPA report on their website that heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) present a particular danger for cyclists, especially in London where around 20% of cyclist fatalities which occur involve an HGV. These often occur when an HGV is turning left at a junction’. The new Elite 6 vehicles at B&M Waste are fitted with a new ‘left turn audible warning system’ to try and minimise the risk when turning left. About one quarter of accidents resulting in serious injury to a cyclist involved an HGV, bus or coach ‘passing too close’ to the rider.
Graham continued “We encourage our peers across the waste industry to follow suit to reduce the risk their vehicles pose to the public. Having well-maintained and eco-friendly vehicles and adopting the latest technology to allow for greater visibility is good all round for reducing incidents and protecting other road users. We know technology is constantly evolving and we will continue to further reduce risk and increase safety through adopting suitable advancements in technology into our fleet.”