Risk assessment guidance for Street Friends

Work during daylight hours, or in well-lit areas.

Wear suitable sturdy footwear with good grip.

Consider whether the area to be cleaned has any slippery surfaces or slopes and only work if an area if it is safe to do so.

Only litter-pick where there are wide verges or pavements.

Take extra care if near any water hazards such as ponds, rivers, or streams.

Avoid reaching into ditches to remove litter unless it can be safely reached with a litter picker.

Do not leave any items such as litter pickers and plastic bags where they may create a tripping hazard e.g. leave full sacks of litter against something like a tree or lamp column, rather than in the middle of the pavement (footway).

Do not use your hands to collect litter, even if you are wearing gloves.

If you can’t reach an item with your litter-picker, then leave it.

Do not reach into hedges or undergrowth to prevent injury to your face, eyes, or skin from things like hypodermic needles, broken bottles, and thorns.

Double bag items such as broken bottles before placing in the plastic sack, to prevent the sack from splitting.

Avoid compressing collected rubbish in sacks.

Check that your tetanus vaccinations are up to date in case you ever get an injury that breaks the skin. Further details can be found at www.nhs.uk.

Look out for dog fouling.

Only remove litter using a litter picker, even if wearing gloves.

Do not overfill a plastic sack with litter, making it heavy to lift.

Bend your legs and keep your back straight when lifting the full sack.

Please refer to the Manual Handling Operations Regulations: A Brief Guide, that can be found at hse.gov.uk.

Wear suitable clothing to keep warm in cold weather.

It is better to wear more layers rather than fewer thick layers.

Have regular warm drinks.

Wear loose fitting clothing to protect yourself from harmful sunrays and apply a suitable factor suntan lotion to exposed skin.

Keep hydrated by having regular cold drinks.

Only work from the pavement (footway) and never in the road (carriageway).

Wear upper body hi-vis clothing.

Be alert to abnormal traffic behaviour.

Stand back and watch traffic pass if it is in close proximity.

Face on-coming traffic where possible.

Carry a charged mobile phone in case of emergency

Avoid working alone where possible.

Let someone know where you’re working and what time you will return home.

Let them know when you have safely returned home.

Carry a charged mobile phone in case of emergency.

Do not work alone in the road/carriageway.

Minimum of two persons to carry out activity within visibility of each other.

Avoid contact with harmful plants such as stinging nettles and poisonous ivy. Use a litter picker, gloves and ensure that your legs and feet are covered.

First aid – obtain medical attention if severe symptoms develop.

Ensure that you are healthy enough to litter pick and check with your doctor if necessary.

Work within your own capabilities.

Take frequent breaks.

Children under 16 should be supervised by an adult.

Volunteers under the age of 18 require consent from a parent/guardian.