Meet the people helping to keep NI running
While many of us are now working at home, others in essential services continue to go out to do their jobs. Donna Deeney, Margaret Canning and Emma Deighan find out how they’re coping
Craig Mcgowan is among those making sure refuse is collected. A supervisor at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council’s refuge department, he says that, for now at least, all black, blue and brown bins are being collected as normal.
“We still have the manpower to operate the service to its full capacity,” he says. “Usually in the mornings before the crews leave the depot, they would have come in for a bit of a chat about the sport that was on the night before or whatever, but that’s all stopped. Now, the men come into the depot, get straight out of their own vehicles and get ready to go out in the bin lorries right away.
“Normally for the black and blue bin collections there are usually three men in the crews and the brown bin crews are just two men.
“We have now reduced the black and blue crews down to two men in the cab and the other man coming behind in the council van.
“The crews can stick to the six feet apart rule inside the cab of the lorry and when they are out collecting the bins they can keep to that easily enough.”
Craig says that most people realise the need for taking extra precautions.
“Like everybody, we are all worried about catching coronavirus. Everyone takes seriously all the precautions the council has put in place, like disinfecting the cab before and after it is used, wearing personal protection equipment and keeping your distance from others.
“The public really do appreciate us being out there collecting refuse and I’d like to remind them that when they do leave their bins out, they wipe down the handles with disinfectant too. When we all take this seriously, we can all keep ourselves safe and well.”
‘When we all take this seriously, we can keep ourselves safe and well’