A trade unionist is calling for the Government to improve safety for dustmen.
Sue Such, Didcot branch secretary of the GMB union, spoke out after a binman based at the Didcot depot of Biffa Waste Services was injured by a hypodermic needle left in a black rubbish bag outside a house in Harwell.
She accused the public and politicians of "a form of arrogance in failing to appreciate fully the hazards and dangers faced every day by refuse collectors".
The man who was able to return to work the next day, has undergone health checks for diseases such as hepatitis at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. Mrs Such said binmen who experienced needle injuries also faced the shock caused by fear of the HIV virus.
The Vale of White Horse District Council and Biffa criticised members of the public who left unprotected, dangerous rubbish such as needles, broken glass and garden clippings for collection.
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