Council Leader warns against dumping used PPE in Thurrock

Thurrock Council’s Leader, Cllr Rob Gledhill, is calling on residents who use PPE to be considerate and dispose of equipment safely and correctly, after gloves and other facemasks have been found on Thurrock’s streets.

Cllr Gledhill said:

“Discarded PPE in the borough is a real health hazard to Thurrock residents. PPE is not just being used to stop people catching coronavirus, but also to stop them spreading it. By littering PPE, it completely defeats the purpose for its use and there’s a risk of spreading infection to local people and other frontline staff.

“I ask those who use PPE outside of the workplace to think about the consequences of their actions before they irresponsibly dump possibly unsanitary, used equipment on our streets.

“This doesn’t just impact residents, it also exposes our dedicated street cleaning teams who are on the frontline working to protect our communities from coronavirus, and makes our streets a mess again.”

Workers are advised to dispose of any used PPE properly.

For more advice and information, visit: thurrock.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19

Image: Thurrock Council