The Sunday Post newspaper published an article highlighting the sudden increase in garbage truck battery fires in Glasgow, Scotland. Trade union representatives of GMB Scotland are calling for a campaign to alert battery users to the situation. It seems that a number of consumers are still throwing used batteries in their garbage.
More About Increase In Garbage Truck Fires
There have been five garbage truck battery fires in Glasgow in recent months. These incidents caused disruptions on city streets, and damaged council equipment. This may be due to new vehicles with high-compression rams. These rams compact loads, and may inadvertently crush lithium-ion batteries.
This alarming pattern repeats all over the United Kingdom, and in most other parts of the world. Other campaigners are adding their voices to the call by the GMB Scotland union for urgent action. We must do something, they say, before one of our members suffers serious injury.
We suspect that the new generation of garbage trucks, may apply more force to compress garbage loads further, to improve trip efficiency. A senior union representative suggests “batteries which were not crushed by older vehicles are now being damaged and starting fires inside lorries”.
We understand that representatives of Scottish councils and trade unions, will meet government ministers. Their goal will be to find ways to lessen the danger to council workers, and the general public too. We hope this strategy includes an effective campaign to alert the public to what is happening to their garbage.
More About the Cause of These Garbage Fires
Our preview image shows the scene at one of the garbage truck battery fires, that broke out on a major highway. The driver had to stop on the shoulder of the arterial, as plumes of smoke and burning garbage erupted from the back of the vehicle.
Sunday Post suggests that most of the fires began in vape batteries, which now litter the countryside like cigarette butts. The council repudiates the suggestion that new vehicles are triggering the spate of garbage truck battery fires.
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