Staff at Hertfordshire’s 16 recycling centres suffering ‘unacceptable level of abuse and aggression’

Workers at Hertfordshire’s recycling centres have been subjected to an “unacceptable level of abuse and aggression”, with 30 reports of violent incidents last year (2023-24).

A performance report to Hertfordshire County Council’s environment committee of the authority’s 16 recycling centres – which includes Bishop’s Stortford’s on the Woodside industrial estate off Dunmow Road – revealed the figures.

The report also revealed the county’s recycling centres are having to rely on agency workers after suffering problems with high staff turnover and sickness leave.

The incidents of abuse and aggression in 2023-24 were fewer than the previous year, when there were almost 50 violent incident reports, but above the 20 recorded in 2021-22.

The report stated: “Despite improvement in the numbers of recorded abusive or violent incidents at recycling centres following measures that were introduced, including the rollout of body-worn video cameras and customer service training, there remains an unacceptable level of abuse and aggression directed towards site staff.

“Work is under way with the council’s behavioural change unit to identify the cause of incidents of abuse and implement strategies to address them.

“Abusive or threatening behaviour or harassment towards our employees is unacceptable, and HCC will always seek an investigation by the police wherever feasible and will press for the strongest penalties against offenders.

“HCC is currently working with a task group to strengthen awareness for staff to raise concerns in addition to improving support for staff who have been a victim of workplace abuse or threatening behaviour.”

It went on: “During 2022-23 site staff were reminded of the importance of reporting all accidents and violent incidents (verbal and physical abuse) and in response the numbers of reports increased.

“In response to the increased level of reports of violent incidents, measures such as improved customer service training, including conflict de-escalation training, was provided.

“All sites were also provided with body-worn video cameras to make accurate records of incidents of conflict arising at sites. These have been used successfully in challenging complaints from site users regarding the behaviours of site staff and have also helped to reduce the overall number of reported incidents due to the deterrent that they create in front of potentially aggressive customers.

“In addition to the training provided in dealing with incidents of abusive or violent behaviour, service management engaged with colleagues in the highways department, who also experience similar behaviour at the site of road works, to attempt to share best practice in dealing with the issue.

“Subsequently the recycling centre team have begun working with the council’s behavioural change unit to carry out research to identify the main causes of aggressive behaviour and thereafter address the triggers with a view to reducing the potential for incidents at recycling centres.”

The performance report also stated that a “significant challenge” the service continues to deal with is the consistent provision of front-line staffing.

Recruitment is a continuous process due to high levels of staff turnover and, when combined with increasing levels of sickness absence, the service has become reliant on the provision of temporary agency staff.

Stortford’s recycling centre is currently closed until around Christmas so that major improvements to increase capacity and cut queues can be carried out.